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Apr 3, 2024
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Identifying Opportunities For Improvement Through Data Analysis American College of Education EL5703 School Improvement March 3, 2024
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Identifying Opportunities For Improvement Through Data Analysis To effectively diagnose improvement areas in a school, leaders must analyze data and find possible solutions for improvement areas. The school leader can be successful in this process by creating a school improvement team comprised of diverse stakeholders that bring unique viewpoints, experiences and knowledge to the table. The members of the school improvement team at Central Elementary School are the building principal, the first grade coordinator, the English as a second language (ESL) teacher, and the STEAM teacher who is also a math coach. Each member of the school improvement team was chosen due to their specific strengths, experiences and expertise. The building principal is our school leader, and has over 30 years of experience collecting and analyzing data. This expertise in the area of data analysis will help the improvement team reach its goal. The first grade coordinator also has extensive teaching experience, over 25 years. Additionally, she practices vertical articulation regularly by meeting with the teachers in both kindergarten and second grade. Therefore, the first grade coordinator can give important insight to the meeting because she is familiar with the strengths and needs of students in each grade level. After collecting and analyzing the student achievement and attendance data, it was clear that English language learners (ELLs) are in need of a more equitable school experience. To ensure that the needs of ELLs were included in the school improvement plan, the ESL teacher is included on the school improvement team. The ESL teacher is an advocate for the ELL students, and her personal characteristics, such as her culture and ethnicity, bring a diverse perspective to the conversation. Her unique perspective, experiences, and expertise working with ELL students makes her a great addition to the school improvement team. The final member of the school improvement team is the STEAM teacher. The STEAM teacher is a special area teacher and math coach, thus she works with all students in the school and knows them well. Additionally, her personal characteristics such as her culture and ethnicity bring a diverse perspective to the table. Her knowledge of the students and her math expertise makes her an important part of the school improvement team. This team has
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varied strengths, experiences, perspectives and expertise that will be crucial in correctly analyzing data and creating a plan to address improvement areas. Meeting Summary The school improvement team meeting was held in person in the school media center and lasted for approximately one hour. In this meeting, the school improvement team worked collaboratively to analyze student achievement data, attendance data, discipline data and curriculum audit data. Before beginning the analysis, the team was asked to consider the following questions: what angles can we look at this data from? What are possible trends, patterns or outliers within the data set? What might those trends, patterns or outliers mean? What is the context of the data? Next, members split into two groups to work collaboratively to analyze the data sets. First, each group analyzed and compared the two years of student achievement data for both Math and ELA scores from the NJSLA assessments. Both groups looked for patterns in scores, determined if there were any outliers in the data sets, and compared the Math scores with the ELA scores. Each group had a scribe who wrote down findings on an index card. When both groups were satisfied that they had thoroughly analyzed these data sets, all members of the school improvement team joined together to share their findings and compare with one another. Important points were recorded on the whiteboard for each data set. This same process took place for analysis of the attendance data, discipline data, comparison of mission statement to related data, and finally, comparison of ideal equitable school culture and the related data. After data analysis had taken place in small groups and then as a large group for all the data sets, the team looked to the whiteboard for trends and patterns. In analyzing all data, it was clear that the focus area for improvement needed to be increasing student scores in Math. Once a focus area for improvement was agreed upon, the team visualized the Math data by creating Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3. These visuals help paint a clear picture of why increasing Math scores is the best area to focus on for improvement.
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Figure 1 Comparing the percent of testers who met expectations to the school’s desired target number of testers to meet expectations. Figure 2 Student Math achievement data disaggregated by student subgroups.
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Figure 3 Comparison of students who met expectations to those who did not meet expectations from year to year. Gaps Between Disaggregated Data Subgroups To analyze the data between disaggregated subgroups, the school improvement team worked in groups to identify trends and outliers in the data sets. Disaggregated subgroups were as follows: White, Hispanic, Male, Female, and ELLs. The data for ELL students was new and brought to the meeting by the ESL teacher. First, data scores for each subgroup were compared to scores from the previous year and in all groups, Math scores declined by approximately 20%. Next, the school improvement team worked in small groups to determine if there were any outliers in the data. The team concluded that the Math scores for Hispanic students and ELL students were more 25% lower than the scores for White students, Male students and Female students, thus making them outliers in the data. Additionally, the Math scores for Hispanic students and ELL students were significantly lower than the scores for White students in both years. Therefore, the team identified this as a trend in the data. Finally, subgroup scores were compared to the average statewide scores for the NJSLA Math assessment. In both years, White students are scoring about 25% higher than the state average, while Hispanic and ELL students are scoring below the state average. The data show that in all subgroups, Math scores are declining and that scores are inequitable between subgroups. As a result of this data
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analysis, the school improvement team concluded that increasing Math scores is the priority focus for area of improvement. Gaps Between the Mission Statement and Data Findings The school improvement team analyzed the school’s mission statement to identify possible gaps between the mission and the data findings. Just as before, the team split into small groups. However, new groups were formed to give opportunities for different members to work together to share different viewpoints and expertise. To analyze the mission statement and compare it with the data findings, the mission statement was broken into parts. Part one was to look at the part of the mission that states the school will provide “an environment which cultivates individual abilities.” Each small group discussed data in relation to this part of the mission statement and wrote important points on an index card. The same process took place for the other two parts of the mission statement: provide an environment which “respects differences” and provide and environment that “nurtures responsibility and cooperation.” The team also analyzed the curriculum audit in small groups to determine gaps between the school’s mission and data findings. Then, each small group took turns sharing their findings and discussing viewpoints in a large group setting. Through these discussions, the improvement team concluded that a major gap between the mission statement and data findings is the cultivation of student abilities. The decline in NJSLA scores in both Math and ELA for every subgroup demonstrate that students are not being provided with the environment they need to thrive academically. The team concluded that the decline in scores is not due to student lack of abilities, but to the school’s failure to provide an environment that is most conducive to teaching and learning for all students. Gaps Between Ideal Diverse and Equitable School Culture and Data Findings To identify gaps between ideal equitable school culture and data findings, the school improvement team analyzed the curriculum audit data and referenced the conclusions determined from the academic data analysis. Once again, small groups were formed with different members than the previous small groups so that each group had members with varied
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experiences, perspectives and expertise. In education, equity means “every student has the opportunity to learn in the school, program, and classroom most appropriate to their needs and interests” (American College of Education, 2022). The school improvement team concluded that there is an inequitable school culture. The team cited achievement data and curriculum data to display this claim. Student achievement data show that the school setting is not best suited for the needs of every student, especially for Hispanic students and ELL students. The fact that these subgroups are significantly and consistently outperformed on state tests when compared to their peers demonstrates inequity. Additionally, data from the curriculum audit shows that certain subgroups of students are not represented in literature and do not receive the appropriate differentiation in relation to their specific learning styles and interests. The data analysis was insightful because the team members had different viewpoints and experiences that aided them in seeing the data in a way that some members did not see. By collaborating, the school improvement team was able to view data from different angles to uncover the meaning behind the data sets and their implications for school improvement. Focus Area for Improvement Based on the data findings, the school improvement team decided that the focus area for improvement will be increasing Math scores on a school-wide scale. After initial analysis of all available data, team members were tasked with choosing three possible areas of improvement and ranking them in order of perceived importance. Team members completed this independently and ranked improvement areas on sticky notes. The sticky notes were collected and responses were recorded on the whiteboard for all to see. Ranked as most important from all team members was increasing Math skills. This means that the decision to focus on improving Math scores was unanimous. Next, each group member took turns explaining their rationale for choosing to focus on improvement in Math. Rationale for focusing on improvement in Math based on the data analysis findings include: school-wide decline in all student subgroups of Math scores from the previous year, inequitable Math scores between student subgroups, and failure to reach the school’s set target of percentage of students to meet
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expectations on the NJSLA assessment. By analyzing data and discussing findings collaboratively, the school improvement team was able to identify increasing Math scores as the area to improve upon on because it will have the greatest impact on student learning. Rationale The school improvement team used data analysis to determine that improvement in Math scores is paramount for Central Elementary School. The school’s Math scores show a decline in student learning. The decline in Math scores is problematic because research indicates that early math skills predict reading, math and science achievement later on (Claessens & Engle, 2013). Focusing on Math skills can lead to future success in reading and other subjects as students progress through their academic careers. Therefore, math skills are important for future overall academic achievement. The research supports the school improvement team’s decision to focus on improvement in Math. Enhancing student achievement in Math is crucial because Math concepts and skills are used in everyday life. Research indicates that “more people are working in settings where mathematics is a cornerstone” (Ojose, 2011). Therefore, upon entering the workforce, students will need proficient math skills to acquire a job and earn a living. Common skills taught in Math include critical thinking and problem solving, both of which are commonly used on a daily basis in one’s personal and professional life (Gravemeijer et al., 2017). Competent math skills help students become productive and successful members of society. Real world examples of Math application include calculating interest rates, creating a budget, understanding election results, completing transactions, and determining how furniture can fit in a given space (Gravemeijer et al., 2017). These example are only a fraction of the life skills that have a basis in math. By focusing on improvement in Math skills, Central Elementary School is ensuring that students have the skills they need to be successful in life and in their career. Conclusion Throughout the data analysis process, the school improvement team worked collaboratively. Team members were able to work in small groups and as a large group to
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uncover findings and discuss areas that need more attention. Each member was given a chance to share their analysis and perspective in a large group and small group setting. In this meeting, each member was able to work with every single person on the team in one way or another. This collaboration was intentional to ensure multiple perspectives from different stakeholders were acknowledged and discussed. Team members have varied experience, some more than 25 years and others with less than 10 years in education. Multiple cultures and ethnicities were represented on the team to ensure diverse perspectives were involved in decision making. A team member who is White, has 25 years of experience and is a classroom teacher is going to have a different perspective that someone who is Hispanic, has 10 years of experience and is an ESL teacher. Additionally, the STEAM teacher was able to point out certain gaps in the data because of her expertise in math. Overall, the data analysis process involved collaborative activities that ensured diverse perspectives from stakeholders were included in decision making. The school improvement team was successfully able to work together to analyze data and pinpoint Math as the area of focus for improvement to best cater to student student learning.
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References American College of Education. (2022). EL5703 School Improvement: Module 2 [Equity and Educational Excellence (Equity: Closing the Gaps) presentation]. Canvas. https://ace.instructure.com/courses/1991551/modules/items/38588477 Claessens, A., Engel, M. (2013). How Important Is Where You Start? Early Mathematics Knowledge and Later School Success. Teachers College Record, 115
(6). Gravemeijer, K., Stephan, M., Cyril, J., Lin, F. L., Ohtani, M. (2017). What Mathematics Education May Prepare Students for the Society of the Future? International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 1,
105-123. Ojose, B. (2011). Mathematics Literacy: Are We Able To Put The Mathematics We Learn Into Everyday Use? Journal of Mathematics Education, 4
(1), 89-100.