The post Make the Most of Classroom Data appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>Data-driven instruction has become a key element in today’s teaching strategies, empowering educators to make informed decisions that enhance student learning outcomes. But what does it really mean to use data to drive instruction? And how can educators ensure they’re using it to its fullest potential? It starts with understanding the true value of learning data. Then, knowing how to apply that value in the right places, at the right time.
By examining various types of educational data and understanding its value, teachers and school leaders can better understand student needs, tailor their instruction to meet those unique needs, and make adjustments that foster growth for every student.
Key Types of Data in the Classroom to Drive Instruction
Grasping the value of data starts with understanding the different types available and their unique value. Below, we’ll look at the key types of educational data educators should be leveraging:
Formative assessments like quizzes, class activities, and exit tickets, happen during learning to monitor student progress and inform ongoing instruction. By regularly analyzing their results, teachers can identify which concepts students are mastering and where they might need additional support. This real-time insight is invaluable in that it allows for just-in-time adjustments to lesson plans and slows, or even stops, knowledge gaps from widening. Having an instructional tool with embedded formative assessments can be even more invaluable, like DreamBox Math, DreamBox Reading, and Reading Plus because they track critical learning data to inform instruction.
Summative assessments
Summative assessments, such as end-of-unit tests or state exams, provide a broader view of student achievement over time. This data helps educators evaluate overall instructional effectiveness at both the classroom and district levels, identifying long-term trends that may call for curriculum adjustments, targeted interventions, and specialized professional learning.
Integrating both formative and summative assessments into everyday instruction can help ensure the data is not only real-time but also provides an actionable insight at the most impactful moment for each student. Here are a few tips to build assessments, specifically for math, into everyday instruction.
Student behavior is closely tied to academic performance, and tracking behavioral data—such as attendance, participation, and engagement—offers critical insight into what may be affecting a student’s success in the classroom. This data helps educators understand the root causes of challenges, whether they are behavioral or academic.
Student Growth Data
Student growth data tracks individual progress over time, focusing not just on where students currently stand but on how far they’ve come in their learning journey. Unlike one-off assessments, growth data reflects the incremental progress students make throughout the year, highlighting both achievements and areas of opportunity.
4 Ways K-12 Leaders Can Leverage Data for Smarter Decisions
Educators have access to more data than any time in history, but is it leading to data-informed decisions? Check out four key strategies to leveraging data that help educators make smart decisions that impact teachers, students, and their educational communities.
Data-Driven Decision-Making in Practice
While data-driven instruction is incredibly impactful, its application varies across different educational settings. From classroom teachers adjusting lessons to school leaders shaping curriculum changes, it’s important that educators understand the value that each data type brings so they can effectively recognize patterns, identify problems, and implement the right solutions.
|
In the Classroom
|
At the School
|
Across the District
|
|---|---|---|
|
At the classroom level, data-driven instruction enables teachers to respond quickly to their students’ needs. A teacher might analyze formative assessment data after a quiz and notice that most students struggle with a specific concept. This data helps teachers quickly identify when to reteach or reinforce the concept using different strategies to ensure student mastery before moving forward. |
On a school-wide level, data can help identify broader trends and inform instructional strategies across grade levels or subjects. For example, a principal might review behavioral and academic data to pinpoint patterns of chronic absenteeism in a grade. By identifying this trend early, school leaders can implement targeted interventions—such as monitoring programs or parental engagement workshops—to support students at risk of falling behind. |
At the district level, administrators rely on data to make informed decisions about resource allocation and curriculum planning. Imagine a district where summative data shows declining math scores across schools. District leaders could use this data to evaluate potential causes of the problem and design a solution to address it. For example, the district could consider new math curriculum or invest in additional resources, like an intervention program. |
Benefits of Data-Driven Instruction
When educators understand the available data and, importantly, how each data set interacts with and informs other data, data-driven instruction can yield significant benefits, including:
Personalized Learning
Data-driven instruction allows teachers to tailor lessons and assignments to meet each student’s unique needs. The Intelligent Adaptive Learning in DreamBox Math is just one example of how teachers can ensure that every student receives the targeted support or enrichment they need because they have data that can identify exactly where students are in their math journey.
Early Identification of Struggling Students
Data can act as an early warning system, helping educators spot subtle yet critical shifts in student learning patterns. By regularly analyzing student data, educators can identify those who may be struggling before it’s too late. Whether it’s through behavioral data or early assessment scores, teachers can step in and provide interventions to prevent students from falling further behind.
Targeted Group Instruction
Data empowers educators to confidently make decisions grounded in evidence. Rather than having to “teach to the middle” or rely on anecdotal evidence, teachers and administrators can deliver targeted instruction and support to the right students, at the right time. For example, if a teacher sees from assessment data that only a small group of students is struggling with a particular concept, they can offer targeted small-group instruction while the rest of the class moves forward.
Efficient Resource Allocation
For administrators, data-driven decision-making allows for the strategic allocation of resources. This means investing in programs, tools, or support staff where they are most needed. For example, if a district identifies one school with a high number of students falling behind in math, resources like math specialists or tutoring programs can be provided to that school to offer targeted support.
Improved Collaboration
When educators across a district have access to the same data, collaboration naturally improves between classrooms and schools. Teachers can share strategies based on data insights, principals can align school-wide goals, and district leaders can make decisions that benefit all schools in the system.
Data in the Classroom is Essential to Successful Learning
Using data to drive instruction isn’t just a trend—it’s an essential strategy for empowering educators and students alike. By harnessing the power of data through understanding their innate value, schools can create more personalized learning experiences, improve student outcomes, and make informed decisions that benefit the entire school community.
Discovery Education and Otus have joined forces to deliver a powerful combination of proven teaching & learning solutions and state-of-the-art data analytics. With clear, actionable insights at both the classroom and district levels, it’s easier than ever to make strategic, data-driven decisions that improve student outcomes.
Kendell Hunter
The post Make the Most of Classroom Data appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>The post Make Your Student Achievement Data More Than a Road Atlas appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>Everyone loves a good road trip, especially when you get to be the navigator. For some, it that means flipping through a spiral-bound road atlas to plan routes and stops the old-fashioned way. For others, it’s using the latest technology to guide in the most efficienct, and least stressful way. Either way, it’s all about the journey just as much as the destination.
As helpful as a road atlas or online maps can be for planning, they’re tools that don’t have the power to transport people. They’re a reference that can only inform travelers as they act and move. In the same way, districts looking at student data are like road trippers looking at an online map. Educators have plenty of information, but the data doesn’t have the power to improve achievement—it’s up to educators to interpret it and take action for their students. What complicates matters more for districts is that student learning doesn’t follow predictable, well-defined paths like road-trippers find on an atlas. So educators must be ready for detours or traffic delays at any moment. And sometimes they even need to build new roads and rest stops. Therefore, to make sure every student is on a path to success, districts not only need actionable data, but also high-quality resources that can be used with students.
That’s why data-informed learning resources that lead to meaningful student growth are essential. For example, it’s not enough to have test scores that reveal which students need help dividing fractions, nor is it enough to simply have students memorize; “yours is not to reason why, just invert and multiply.” Educators know that rote memorization doesn’t work in the long run. It’s like junk food on a road trip. When students need intervention, there’s no quick fix; they need better pedagogy and curricular materials that help them understand fraction division beyond simply a memorized procedure.
Because districts need both actionable insights and effective resources, Discovery Education (DE) is proud to provide educators with tools for making data-informed instructional decisions along with award-winning resources for taking action. And now, to make this process even easier for DE partner schools and districts, we’ve joined forces with Otus, a K-12 assessment, data, and insights solution, to help schools harness the power of data to improve learning outcomes for all students. Our partnership empowers school leaders and educators to make strategic, data-informed decisions while providing the resources they need to support student success continually throughout the year.
We know where we want our students to be by the end of the school year. And they’ll always need us to meet them where they are. The data we have about them is a first step toward that goal. The next steps require us to meet them in pedagogically sound ways, inspiring them to be curious and confident learners who think critically and compassionately. When it comes to learning, the journey of persisting and progressing is how students reach proficiency. With Discovery Education and Otus, it’s easier than ever for districts to have not only an atlas, but also the vehicles to ensure inspiring road trips for student learning.
The post Make Your Student Achievement Data More Than a Road Atlas appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>The post Shaping the Future of Education appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>What’s driving conversation today in education? From the local school board meetings to the parent-teacher conferences, we know educators get a lot of feedback. Regardless of what is trending, listening to learning communities is a core focus at Discovery Education, as we know it is for education leaders. Our new report based on surveys from over 1,500 superintendents, teachers, parents, and students underscores our core focus, and we can’t wait to share the results with you.
The Education Insights Report by Discovery Education, created in partnership with The Harris Poll, pinpoints three game-changing opportunities to shaping the future of education:
- Prioritize student motivation and engagement by focusing on what makes them curious
- Integrate life and workforce readiness into the everyday classroom
- Embrace innovative supports to meet the needs of today’s teachers and students
It also serves as a roadmap for transforming education as we know it. Here are my key takeaways from this revealing report, and why, at Discovery Education, we are more confident than ever about the future of education.
Curious Minds, Engaged Students
Curiosity is the engine of learning. By focusing on keeping students curious, we keep them engaged in active learning. Even though most educators agree on the importance of curiosity, many feel that it’s difficult to prioritize alongside other pressures. At Discovery Education, we believe that by nurturing students’ interests through tools including student-led learning, exciting multimedia content, and hands-on activities, teachers can simultaneously instruct and inspire students to think critically, make meaningful connections, and achieve ambitious learning goals.
Prepping for Life, Not Just Exams
The classroom experience needs to go beyond textbooks to prepare students for what comes after school—to show the connection between what we’re teaching and why it matters. Yet less than two-thirds of students feel their schools are preparing them for future workforces. While we’ve long delivered solutions for building students’ interpersonal skills, we recently launched Career Connect, a new tool to bring professional voices into the classroom and ensure students are ready for whatever path they choose to take after graduation.
A Call for Individualized Learning Support
of teachers see a wider variation of knowledge and skills among students compared to five years ago.
Our research found that two-thirds of teachers (66%) observe a wider variation of knowledge and skills among their students compared to five years ago. They’re hungry for support that will help them tailor instruction and build their own confidence as educators. We believe teachers need tools that can help them reach each student individually, without putting more work on their plates. We hear every day from our partners that our DreamBox solutions for math and reading increase learning, motivation, and confidence through AI-powered adaptive learning paths unique to each student.
Keep the Conversation Going
As a former superintendent and principal, I believe that all progress begins with knowledge and understanding. We hope the sentiments uncovered by our Education Insights report will lead to productive dialogue and collaboration across K-12 communities at every level. I’m energized by the passion, dedication, and motivation expressed by every group we surveyed. It’s that commitment to learning growth and achievement that leaves me deeply confident about the opportunity for today’s education leaders to solve the challenges ahead. The Discovery Education team will be there every step of the way.
Let’s keep the conversation going. Watch Our Virtual Town Hall On-Demand to dive into this report with other education leaders. We’ll meet for an interactive session to share reflections, ideas, and leave feeling inspired.
Dr. Todd Wirt
The post Shaping the Future of Education appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>The post 9 Essential Steps for Superintendents Leading a Districtwide Digital Transition appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>Laying the Foundation for a Modern Digital Learning Environment
School administrators may be excited by the prospect of students learning at their own pace on devices loaded with interactive, customized lesson plans; or envisioning teachers as facilitators in classrooms where students are empowered to lead their own learning. But the step-by-step process of transitioning to a digital curriculum can be daunting. It requires much more than simply providing devices to students. A digital transition is a multi-faceted, multi-year process that must be carefully considered, planned and communicated.
We are three superintendents with 16 years of superintendent experience and 20 years of K-12 teaching experience among us. As heads of school districts—one small, one medium and one large—we have steered the transition to digital learning. We know firsthand what works and what doesn’t. We’ve experienced setbacks and successes. Sometimes we moved too fast, other times we wished we had been bolder. We’ve learned a lot along the way, and we’ve brought our experiences together to provide helpful steps as others consider making the transition to digital.
Digital transition is the shift from physical textbooks and paper handouts to digital, interactive learning tools.
9 Steps for Superintendents to Lead a Districtwide Digital Transition
1. When Planning a Digital Transition, Start with the "Why?"
In our experience, this crucial first step is the foundation for a successful digital transition. Consider how digital learning will align with standards, add value for teachers, and enhance the student learning experience. Then make sure you broadcast this message clearly and frequently. Begin by involving all stakeholders — principals, teachers, parents, students, the Board of Education, local businesses and community residents. Is the goal of digital learning to provide education for all levels of learners? Is it to prepare students for the workplaces they will encounter? Is it to engage and challenge students with inquiry-based lessons? Your answers will be tailored to your community and school.
Why we took the digital leap:
“We wanted to level the playing field and make sure all students have access to the technology that prepares them for the future.” — Susan Allen, superintendent of East Irondequoit Central School District, NY
“We knew the future of our students was going to change, and we wanted to make sure we could provide our students with the best learning tools that were available.” — Christine Johns, superintendent of Utica Community Schools District, MI
“In Las Vegas, teachers had a lot of learning levels in their classrooms. Technology allowed teachers to bring more differentiation into their instruction.” — Dwight Jones, former superintendent for Clark County School District in Las Vegas, NV
2. Assess Your District's Readiness for a Digital Transition
Spend time building broad-based understanding and support through meetings with the board of education, principals, teachers, parent teacher associations, and other local stakeholders. Develop and communicate a roll-out plan that takes into account which schools in your district are most ready for digital transition as well as which schools are most in need of digital investment. Some school districts will start with a particular grade or subject, while others will begin with the teachers who are most eager to learn about and use digital learning tools.
3. Make Sure Your Digital Resources are Standards-Aligned
Just like printed materials, digital materials must deliver on the standards that students are expected to know and be able to do. There are many great resources—both print and digital—that generate highly engaging classroom experiences, but have nothing to do with the curriculum. Invest in digital resources that enhance your teachers’ abilities to deliver the learning objectives they’re expected to teach.
4. Clearly & Relentlessly Communicate Your Vision
As you embark on a digital transition, use the communication tools you already have to provide a framework, and make answers to questions easily available to all stakeholders. There is no such thing as over-communication. Your district must be relentless in its effort to explain the importance of the digital transition you are planning. Do not expect anyone in the district, not even teachers or principals, to automatically know the value of digital tools.
In addition to proactive communications describing the goals and benefits of the initiative, it is important to keep lines of communication open throughout the process. Be transparent about challenges, setbacks, and promises with all stakeholders. Listen to concerns, and address them as they arise. For example, a common concern about digital transition is that students will be distracted by devices in the learning environment. Anticipate this concern, acknowledge it, address it and then let stakeholders know exactly how it was addressed. An effective strategy for handling this type of concern would be to provide professional development around it for teachers, and a book study for parents, and then write a blog post about it to share what has transpired with your community.
5. Engage Your Navigators
Purchasing digital content without someone who deeply understands the nuances of different providers truly is flying blind. Dedicate knowledgeable staff to guide the purchasing process, for both hardware and digital curriculum, and to help steer and encourage professional learning opportunities. These navigators will become the champions to help your district move this project forward and to provide answers throughout the process. Before they begin their work, encourage them to reach out to colleagues in other school districts to learn about their experiences.
6. Transition Slowly. Target a Grade Level & Iterate
Ask teachers who are enthusiastic about the digital transition to opt-in to the process, and allow them to pilot the transition. Those teachers can then serve as resources who can share their insights and experiences with other teachers preparing for digital learning. Honor this learning by celebrating teacher leaders who are risk takers, leading every day by example.
7. Provide Ongoing Professional Learning
Professional learning should be embedded and ongoing so that teachers and other system staff gain a real facility with utilizing technology and digital content to create self-directed student learners. Administrators must become versed in digital learning so they can observe and evaluate teachers. Focus on nurturing digital learners and provide professional development beginning the spring before roll out, then continue through the summer.
Once the school year begins, bring a curriculum mentor into the classroom to work with students and teachers. Professional learning can be offered in person, online and through webinars. Teachers can be pulled out of their classrooms for instruction, or instructor/mentors can provide digital learning guidance during the instructional day. Make sure teachers have access to resources throughout the school year so they always have a place to turn with questions or when seeking lesson ideas. Some teachers are going to be skilled and eager digital instructors, while others will be wary of change to their established lesson plans. Full-scale professional learning should be based on the content that will be taught, not on grade levels or familiarity with the intricacies of the devices. Teachers want to know how to teach content effectively and with ease. Show them how.
8. Prioritize Learning Over Technology
Demonstrate to teachers how technology can be used to support a variety of teaching styles, including small-group collaboration, rotating through technology stations, student presentations and teacher-led instruction. The goal is to create classroom environments where students are directing their own learning and teachers are guides, not dispensers of information.
9. Embed Lessons of Digital Citizenship
Ensure students learn digital citizenship and sourcing skills. Devote classroom instruction time to teach students how to be good digital and global citizens. That includes knowing how to interact online without bullying, how to advocate responsibly and how to evaluate the trustworthiness of sources. Students also need to learn how to resist the siren call of a device. One student said a digital learning environment helped him learn how to resist distraction: “I had a choice to make. I could remain distracted and my grades could go down, or I could use this tool to get better grades.”
About the Authors
Dr. Christine Johns is the former superintendent of Utica Community Schools District, MI, a position she held for 14 years.
Susan K. Allen formerly served as the superintendent for East Irondequoit Central School District, NY
Teachers are always looking for new and creative ways to engage students.
Dwight Jones, former superintendent for Clark County School District in Las Vegas, NV
The post 9 Essential Steps for Superintendents Leading a Districtwide Digital Transition appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>The post Top 3 Takeaways from the 2024 ASU+GSV Summit appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>The 2024 ASU+GSV Summit was filled with exciting conversations and reflections about innovation in education and workforce development. The Discovery Education team enjoyed hearing the latest buzz at ASU+GSV—read on to learn more about our top three takeaways from the 2024 Summit!
1. The journey from K-12 to career is more important than ever.
During the ASU+GSV Summit, attendees learned ways that education leaders and innovators are reimagining career education like never before. To create a prepared workforce, career exploration must be emphasized during the K-12 journey. One session highlighted the importance of encouraging dreams and providing students space to dream about what their career could hold. Preparing to enter the workforce starts with exploration and interest in a career, then leads to actual skill-building and entrance to workforce readiness programs.
One notable session about bringing workforce readiness to K-12 schools emphasized the role middle schools can play in career exploration. Early and frequent introduction to various careers can allow students to select and prepare for a career quickly. With an increased emergence of Career & Technical Education programs at the high school level, middle schools have a unique opportunity to help students learn about careers so they can join preparation programs in high school and be ready for entrance to the workforce earlier than ever before.
2. New technology is paving the path of education’s future.
Education has always been a growing and changing landscape, but this year’s ASU+GSV Summit showed that the future of education is filled with new technology. Education leaders are searching for the right software and tools to support their teachers and students, and many sessions highlighted just how much new technology is available for schools to consider.
Game-based assessment was called out as an exciting innovation reaching classrooms. Game-based learning and assessment immerses students in an authentic game environment where the learning is an integral part of their enjoyment in the game. Discovery Education Senior Curriculum Designer David Wees participated in a panel discussion about how technology helps vary concepts and create “levels” for students to pass through in game-based assessments.
AI was an extremely popular topic at the 2024 Summit. Many speakers expressed a positive outlook about its emergence and encouraged educators to acknowledge its existence and embrace it in ways that fit schools’ needs! Experts at ASU+GSV suggest that educators should introduce students to responsible AI usage during their time in the classroom. Some other important points made about AI were:
- Consider how AI use will pair with other existing technology in your district
- Support teachers on usage of AI and help them feel confident when discussing it with students
- Adapt lessons to account for use of AI
- Show students how to use AI appropriately
3. Higher education is scaling and changing, too.
The post Top 3 Takeaways from the 2024 ASU+GSV Summit appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>