One on One Data Meetings

A data meeting does not have to be something that is checked off of your to do list.  These meetings can be  a time to honestly look at student learning and instruction.  Using data to drive instruction works but we have to be willing to be honest about instruction - what works and what doesn't work.  As an administrator I met monthly with grade levels to discuss data and student progress. However, once a year I met one-on-one with my teachers to discuss data.  My time with the teachers allowed for a more in depth discussion about each student in their classroom.  It's easy to print a report from an assessment and place it in a notebook, but we need to do more so that we can help our students progress. We need to disaggregate, discuss and plan using that data. In other words, we need to know our data backwards and forwards. I created specific data review forms for my teachers to complete.  Those forms serve as guide for our discussion and also help teachers understand their data and how to use it.  I also made sure to print all reports and familiarize myself with the data before each meeting. Sometimes data can overwhelm teachers and they just don't know what to do with it.  As an administrator, it was my job to help guide them through how to use their data.  One-on-one data meetings were an excellent way to guide teachers in a positive way.  I always chose to focus on the positives first and then work together to determine next steps for helping those struggling students whose data did not reflect growth.  In my district we focused on STAR Reading & Math, DIBELS, and Accelerated Reader.  I've included the forms for those assessments. I know that each district focuses on different assessments so I have included documents that you can edit and make your own. You can grab the data review forms HERE.