Mid-Year Data Reviews

Jackson Elementary just completed its mid-year assessment. The district shared their graphs and charts with the school which the principal showed during a staff meeting. While they were in the meeting, everyone was feeling very uneasy. It’s because even before the data was shown to them, they were already anticipating low results. They didn’t want to see charts that only confirmed they were failing again. 

After the staff meeting, the data was filed away, and they did not look at the data again until the end of the year assessment. Jackson School failed to meet their goals most years. 

I understood their situation and had an idea of how to turn things around. This is because two years ago, I worked with Jasper Elementary, a school that was in the same situation. They used to share data in the same manner as Jackson Elementary. I began working with them to implement the four data steps.

In the 1st year, Jasper reviewed their goals and created a data profile from their key data. They did not share all the district graphs and reports unless it was helpful to guide their next steps. They also identified key standards reports from the assessment that were useful to teachers. This helped them to pinpoint the student needs and teaching targets. The principal worked hard to create a climate of data ownership. The teachers were involved in goal setting and data discussions. 

In year 2, many teachers went to the principal before the data meeting and asked about their results on the mid-year assessment. The teachers felt empowered to make decisions that would help students to grow and accomplish success. They are now open to discussing changes to make a greater impact by the end of the year. Most teachers were on track to accomplishing their goals. They met their goals at Jasper Elementary and the school continued to see success year after year.

Which one of the above schools is the most like your school at mid-year?

Even though these 2 schools are fictionalized, the scenarios are real. I have seen both types of schools in many districts. Before winter break, we were discussing assessment and the importance of assessment alignment. Now that we are back in January, this would be a good opportunity to discuss mid-year assessment data.

Many schools that I help administer mid-year summative assessments in December or January. This data is a good checkpoint to determine if you are on track to accomplishing your goals. 

If are not collecting any mid-year data, reflect on why you do not conduct a mid-year check. If you have data, but only share it like Jackson Elementary above, reflect on your practice. Is this working and getting the results you want?

If you have collected this data, the next step would be to use the data to evaluate your progress and guide your decisions. Remember important points from data step 1 and what happens at mid-year:

• You identified your goals.  Mid-year is the time to evaluate your short-term goals and determine if you are on track to accomplishing your year-end goals.
• Inspire and share the goals at every level: staff, students, and community.  Celebrate and re-commit to the goals at mid-year.
• Create an atmosphere of data ownership   Involve teachers in the mid-year data discussion.  Remind teachers that: “All data are good data – why because now you know!”   Empower teachers to make decisions on what to do to help students succeed.
• Use your data profile. Present the mid-year data in the same format. (This helps to avoid confusion.) Ask the same questions for each assessment until you accomplish your goals.

Key questions to ask:

What are your mid-year goals for proficiency and growth? (Present mid-year goals and progress made to that goal)

1. Did your school achieve their school goals?
2. Did every grade level accomplish its goal?
3. Did every teacher accomplish their goal?

If you answered YES to these questions:

• How are you going to celebrate?
• Return to Data Step 2 (Analyze for positive factors that contribute to success).
• For Grade Levels and Teachers who accomplished their goals:  What instructional strategies do they use most often?  What support do they provide to students when they do not know the standards?  Which students achieved the proficiency/grade level target?  Do you notice any commonalities or patterns in this group of students? If so, what are they?
• Do any of the positive factors need to be replicated with other teachers?   If yes – what is your implementation plan?

If you answered NO to these questions:

• Why did the school, grade, and/or teacher not accomplish the goal? 
• Return to Data Step 2: Analyze missing factors that prevented success:
• For Grade Levels and Teachers who did not accomplish their goals:  What are possible root causes: program implementation, instruction, assessment, etc.? Are there instructional strategies missing for the teachers who did not meet their goals?  Did the teachers provide support and intervention for students when they did not know the standards? If so, why didn’t it work? If not, why not?  Which students did not achieve the proficiency/grade level target?   
• Which students did not achieve their growth goals?  Are there any patterns for the students who did not achieve their targets?
  For students who did not achieve their targets, what standards, strategies, or skills are missing for them? (Use the standards data from your mid-year assessment).

If your school culture is strong, involve your teachers in these discussions. If it is not, what needs to happen first to empower teachers to own the data and use it to help students succeed? 

The following quote mentions performance reviews, substituting “mid-year data reviews” instead of performance reviews:

“Done right, a performance review is one of the best opportunities to encourage and support high performers and constructively improve your middle- and lower-tier workers.” 

-Kathryn Minshew

Asking these questions and empowering teachers to hold mid-year data discussions can help you leverage key areas for success. This is a perfect time to evaluate and prepare to finish your year strong!

If you are interested in more information or would like assistance with your mid-year data, request a FREE consultation call with me.  Fill in the Contact Form Link: https://debradurma.com/contact-us   Type in "Request a FREE Consultation" in the "Additional Questions or Information Needed" box. You will receive a follow-up email with the next step to schedule a phone call to discuss your needs and questions.