What to do during Mid-Year Data Review?

It was an important day for the school as we gathered to review their mid-year data. This meeting was a time to reflect on their successes, acknowledge their achievements, and address the challenges they're facing. By taking a close look at their progress, they were able to pinpoint which grade levels were at risk of not meeting their year-end goals. Not only would these grade levels fall short of their own targets, but it would also impact the school's overall label and school improvement status.

The most critical aspect, however, was the potential impact on the students. If the struggling grade levels didn't get back on track, students would miss out on essential skills and standards, making it difficult for them to succeed in the following year. By recognizing this issue early on, the school could take proactive steps to prevent this from happening.

With a solid plan in place for intervention in the second semester, the school is now positioned for success. Monitoring their progress at the end of the year will be key to determining whether their efforts have paid off. By taking the necessary steps now to address their challenges, this school can help students get back on track to meet their year-end goals.

In many schools, mid-year assessments are given in December or January. This data is a good checkpoint to determine if you are on track to accomplishing your year-end goals.

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 recommit 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!” (by Mark Rolewski)
• 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.

Mid-Year Key questions to ask: What are your mid-year goals for proficiency and growth?

• Present mid-year goals and progress made to that goal.
• If you didn’t set mid-year goals, what is the halfway point for accomplishing your year-end goals? For example, your baseline data shows that 35% of the students are proficient in Math. If your year-end goal is 55% of the students will achieve proficiency on the state assessment, the students will need to grow 20% in proficiency. Half of that 20% at mid-year would be 10%. Add that to your baseline data and you have a mid-year goal of 45% of the students are proficient at mid-year.
• To reach this goal, check if the 35% who were proficient maintain proficiency?
• In addition, did you add an additional 10% (your mid-year goal) to proficiency at mid-year?

Complete mid-year goal checks for all grade levels and subject areas.

Now Ask:

1. Did your school achieve their school mid-year goals?
2. Did every grade level accomplish the mid-year goal?
3. Did every teacher accomplish their mid-year goal?

If you answered YES to the above 3 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 so, what is your implementation plan?

If you answered NO to the above 3 questions, for Grade Levels and Teachers who did not accomplish their goals:

• 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).

Mid-Year Data Reviews are not just a checkpoint, they are a vital opportunity for school leaders to reflect, recalibrate, and drive positive change. By analyzing student performance data and identifying trends, we can make informed decisions that prioritize student success and guide instructional adjustments for the second half of the year. Let's use this moment to reinforce our dedication to excellence, stay focused on our goals, and continue making meaningful strides toward achieving our vision for student success.

What’s Next?

If you are looking for support on how you can understand data, specifically during your mid-year
reviews, and identifying your next leadership steps, request a FREE consultation call with me via this link: Contact Debra