More Than Numbers

As a result of the learning experiences in the course, participants will become more cognizant of:

• The evidence behind this method and understand what makes this approach different from other courses about data.
• The conditions for using data effectively, the role school culture plays, and how teachers can help build a strong professional culture in their school.
• How to organize data meetings and essential resources for these meetings.
• Create and use specific graphic organizers and manipulatives to help analyze the data.
• Understand the importance of taking an urgent approach to both using data to plan and change instruction as needed.
• How data can help meet the needs of all students addressing their individual needs, the needs of similar grouped students and the needs of the whole group.

As a result of the learning experiences in the course, participants will become better able to:

• Identify assessments to use at data meetings, organize the data, create student data cards, create data charts to display the data, and graphic organizers to analyze the data.
• Use the data to group students for small group instruction and understand what skills need to be addressed for each student.
• Implement a tiered model for reading instruction - a prevention model that provides an instructional framework for delivering assessment-driven instruction, differentiated instruction to all students.
• Comfortably share with colleagues both learning from them and them learning from you.
• Develop skills that will make participants stronger teachers by using the data to drive instruction and enabling them to know their students and understand their students' educational needs.

As a result of the learning experiences in the course, participants will become more competent in their ability to:

• Demonstrate behavior that reflects concern for the welfare of students; behavior that is compassionate and open-minded both with students and colleagues.
• Demonstrate passion for learning and teaching.
• Take a leadership role in providing all students a safe, caring and supportive learning environment; one that demonstrates an appreciation of diversity.
• Support the existence of a learning and working environment that is collaborative in nature (engaging students, professionals and parents) in an effort to provide a safe talk environment and one that provides excellence in learning opportunities for all students.
• Take a leadership role in helping colleagues understand the benefits in using data and open, sharing data meetings in an effort to provide the best education for all students.