Using Data for Meaningful Change

Making a Significant Difference

Teacher teams who attend the institute do the real work of sifting through the information available to them, and then asking the difficult questions that lead to change.  When they have completed the process, they bring back to their schools a plan of action that is supported both by local school data and credible research.

The curriculum for the six days was developed by researchers at TERC and refined over many years of reflective practice. Teaching Matters has adapted the national curriculum to be tailored for New York City schools.

Increasing Data Literacy

As teams complete the various tasks of the Using Data process, they become more comfortable with the language of data and how it can be used to impact student achievement.  They understand the difference between effective and ineffective uses of data, and how to distinguish established facts from unsupported inferences.  

After they complete the institute, teams leave with a shared vocabulary and agreed-upon a set of core values that will continue to drive their collaborative inquiry work.  When new data comes in, team members will know what to do with it.

Building Capacity

Schools who participate in the Using Data for Meaningful Change program are encouraged to leverage both the new insights into student achievement and the benefits of expanded data literacy by introducing the Using Data process school-wide.  Teams who attend the institute are able to collaborate with other teacher teams in the school to discuss findings and share techniques.  

Institute attendees are prepared to become data leaders in their schools, bringing new protocols for team dynamics, drilling down into various data sources, and looking at student work in a meaningful way.  These teachers are also able to model structures for communicating student learning problems and SMART goals, as well as strategies for identifying research-based solutions.