Driven by Data: A Practical Guide to Improve Instruction 1st Edition

My district is all about the data, but does not always articulate its vision clearly. I am all about the data too, but I need clear goals and guidance about what is important and effective. I can't change my teaching practice all at once, so where do I start? What is my final realistic goal? This book is a terrific resource. I have taken to carrying it with me so I can quote from it at data meetings (ok, I have done this twice this year - I am not that teacher who tries to teach the other teachers or leaders. However, I am learning to speak truth to power in education. Harder than you might think if you are not a teacher.).

After teaching for fifteen years, I had the opportunity to teach at North Star Academy in Newark, NJ. It is a challenging place to work, but it is worth it because you know you are making a difference. In a district where less than 5% of students make it through college, North Star sends 100% of its graduates to college and is on course to have over 75% of its alumni complete a degree. And it does all of this without being selective about the students who attend.One of the main reasons North Star is successful is because it is "driven by data". Decisions on what happens in the classroom are not made arbitrarily, but are determined by careful examination of interim assessments of students. With this information, teachers are able to craft a classroom experience that helps all students maximize their performance to the point where North Star has closed the achievement gap and because one of the most successful urban schools in the nation.Data-driven decision-making has descended to the level of jargon in education these days but, done right, it is one of the most powerful tools in a school's arsenal. Unfortunately, too many schools don't do it right and have tarnished a great idea. At North Star, Paul Bambrick-Santoyo has made it work. Now, he shares what works with school leaders and teachers across the nation in meetings and workshops. This book outlines the process.The first half of the book covers what data-driven decision-making is and how it is meant to work in a school. He shares what should be the roles of teachers, school leaders, and district leaders for effective implementation. He shares anecdotes and data from various schools that have implemented the system effectively (including North Star). Also, he shares what is probably the most important idea of all: unlike many school changes, this one does not require "buy in" to work. Implemented as designed and buy in will come because success will come in spite of obstacles.The second half of the book is a step-by-step outline for delivering effective workshops to implement the system. Activities and documents are all described and made available in the CD-ROM included with the book. Mr. Bambrick-Santoyo has made it about as easy as possible for those who want to implement it to make it work.I have seen Mr. Bambrick-Santoyo deliver this workshop and he is one of the best at it. (In my days before North Star, I delivered some workshops on the topic myself but not, I fear, with Paul's skill.) No book can replace having him in the room, but this book has all the tools there if only you are willing to pick them up and use them the way he outlines. Your school can only be the better for it.

Excellent read! UsefulA book on data analysis that can be read and enjoyed by a regular teacher!!!! This book has plenty of examples an ideas that can be easily used by any teacher or administrator. I always keep it close at hand so I can consult it at any time.

Simple and effective, this book allows a busy teacher to get to the basics of applying data to teaching strategies in an efficient manner.Written for easy comprehension, the book is not a highly technical piece for researchers, but a solid manual for those who may not have a background in data analysis.

This is a practical and insightful book and almost every page holds key words and phrases I could use in presentations. I would have been happy to pay more for the ebook if it had included the templates from the cd rom. I understand the challenges involved but I don't think they are insurmountable.

Paul Bambrick-Santoyo is the master of data driven instruction. I am a principal at a charter school in Washington, D.C. and Paul's workshops have been enormously influential. Over the last three years our student achievement results have sky-rocketed. I attribute much of our gains to the data cycle that Paul describes in this book. Under Paul's guidance, our teachers have become experts at using interim assessments to pinpoint student misunderstandings and re-teach critical concepts. I am thrilled to see that Paul has synthesized his wisdom in a book. Whether you're a principal or a teacher, I highly recommend you buy a copy for your school desk and another for your nightstand.

This book provides a very practical and applicable to create the culture of data driven decision making. An awesome book for a school leader to have in their personal library.

This book was required reading by my organization, ostensibly to serve as a model for providing professional development for school personnel. It is well laid out and provides a plan for implementing data driven instruction. It is, however, typical of tomes written by charter school people, who seem to think that they are the originators of all things education. The ideas are good; they are not original. In addition, the charts and tables in the Kindle edition are not large enough to be legible. Although the text font is changeable, the images are not. For the price, this was a huge problem.