Harnessing Formative Data for K-12 Leaders

Harnessing Formative Data for K-12 Leaders prepares school and district leaders to re-evaluate how real-time formative data can inform policy, planning, and professional development. The importance of effective formative data use has escalated since the expansion of distance learning and the integration of digital education tools, which have impacted the consistency, accuracy, availability, and actionability of data points that leaders rely on. This book's strategic insights into actionable, organizational-level formative data use will yield differentiated supports for schools to foster greater academic outcomes, a culture of equity and social-emotional well-being, and students' readiness for college, career, and lifelong learning. Each chapter includes connections to social justice, best practices for applying data points and field-tested tips for technology integration, and a host of interactive planning guides to support implementation.

Stepan Mekhitarian is Director of Innovation, Instruction, Assessment & Accountability at Glendale Unified School District, California.

Foreword by Jason Green and Tiffany Wycoff Preface Acknowledgements About the Author Part I: The Need to Reevaluate How We Use Data in Our Organizations Introduction: Changing Data Considerations - Advancements in Technology Changing Formative Data Use - Loss of Consistent Summative Data from Previous Academic Years - Concerns about Data Reliability Due to Limited Measures Chapter 1: Your Organizations' Vision and Beliefs - Assessing Your Organization's Vision - Reflecting on Your Beliefs About Student Learning and Your Role - Where Formative Data Fits In - Key Takeaways Chapter 2: The Impact of Formative Data on Student Success - Formative Data Fosters Educators' Growth Mindset - Formative Data Informs Planning and Focus Areas - Formative Data Facilitates Differentiation and Promotes Equity - Key Takeaways Part II: Effective Formative Data Use for Leaders Chapter 3: Effective Formative Data Use to Drive Organizational Change - How Actionable is the Data You Are Gathering? - How Timely is the Data You Are Gathering? - How Much Data Do You Need? - How much time will it take to collect the data and will you be able to address all the data you collect? - List data points to inform progress on: - Key Takeaways Chapter 4: Using Instructional Technology to Effectively Address Formative Data - Using your SIS, Excel and Instructional Technology such as Illuminate to Efficiently Gather Formative Data - Identifying and Addressing Validation Concerns to Ensure Broader Impact - Implementing a Collaborative Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle to Address Data - Key Takeaways Chapter 5: Analyzing Formative Data Collaboratively to Identify and Celebrate Best Practices - PLCs using the PDSA cycle - Peer Observations - in-person and virtual - Professional Development linked to formative data page - Including a wide variety of departments to maximize perspective and expertise - Key Takeaways Chapter 6: Building a Data-Driven Culture of Innovation - Re-envisioning Professional Development on Formative Data for All Educators - Reflecting on the Focus on Summative and Formative Data - Fostering a Data-Driven Organizational Culture Conclusion References Index