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DATA ANALYSIS FOR CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ~ fourth edition
vii

10 how are we going to get to where we want to be: implementing the

shared vision by creating a plan for continuous school improvement . . . . . . . . 127
How Will We Implement .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
How Much Time Does it Take? .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Reflection Questions .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Application Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

11 strategies for teachers: using data to implement the vision through the
continuous school improvement plan to improve teaching and learning.. . . . 145
Strategies that Lead to Effective Data Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
How Much Time Does it Take? .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Reflection Questions .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Application Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

12 is what we are doing making a difference: evaluating our efforts . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Why Knowing if What We Are Doing is Making a Difference is Important
to Continuous School Improvement .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
How to Know if What We Are Doing is Making a Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Evaluating Programs and Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Evaluating the Continuous School Improvement Plan .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
An Example Evaluation of School Goals .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
How Much Time Does it Take? .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Reflection Questions .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Application Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

13 continuous school improvement timeline: making time to do the work . . . . 167

The Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
How Much Time Does it Take? .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Reflection Questions .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Application Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

14 the transformation from a complying school

to a learning organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Becoming Learning Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Logic in the Learning Organization .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Benefits of Continuous School Improvement and Becoming a Learning Organization . . . . . 190
How Much Time Does it Take? .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Reflection Questions .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Application Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

appendix a: continuous improvement continuums self-assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

appendix b1: demographic data inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

appendix b2: perceptions data inventory .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

appendix b3: student learning data inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

appendix b4: school processes data inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

appendix c: getting to perceptions through questionnaires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

 table of contents
viii

appendix c1: designing questionnaires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

appendix c2: administering questionnaires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

appendix c3: analyzing questionnaire results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

appendix c4: analyzing open-ended responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241

appendix c5: presenting and using questionnaire results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

appendix d: measuring a program or process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252

appendix e: flowcharting school processes .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260

appendix f: case study ~ part 1 ~ the case study and study questions . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

appendix g: case study ~ part 2 ~ what we saw in the data .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

appendix h: analyzing data for continuous school improvement planning .. . . 342

appendix i: problem-solving cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353

appendix j: creating a shared vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358

appendix k: monitoring vision implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367

appendix l: continuous school improvement (csi) plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370

appendix m: monitoring the implementation of the plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377

appendix n: leadership structure .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378

appendix o: professional learning calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382

appendix p: creating partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384

appendix q: communication protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386

appendix r: examining student work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389

appendix s: ability to achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391

appendix t: timeline for continuous school improvement work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395

references and resources .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407

index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
DATA ANALYSIS FOR CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ~ fourth edition ix

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Victoria L. Bernhardt, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Education for the Future Initiative, whose mission
is to build the capacity of learning organizations at all levels to gather, analyze, and use data to continuously
improve learning for all students. She is also Professor Emeritus in the College of Communication and Education
at California State University, Chico.
Dr. Bernhardt has worked for more than 25 years with learning organizations all over the world to assist them with
their continuous improvement and comprehensive data analysis work. She is the author of more than 20 books,
mostly published by Routledge. Titles include:
u Measuring What We Do in Schools: How to Know if What We Are Doing Is Making a Difference
(published by ASCD)
u Response to Intervention (RtI) and Continuous School Improvement (CSI): How to Design, Implement,
Monitor, and Evaluate a Schoolwide Prevention System, 2nd ed., (with Connie L. Hébert)
u Creating Capacity for Learning and Equity in Schools: Instructional, Adaptive, and Transformational
Leadership (with Mary A. Hooper)
u Shifting to Common Core Literacy: Reconceptualizing How We Teach and Lead (with Cheryl Z.
Tibbals) (published by Solution Tree)
u Data, Data Everywhere: Bringing all the Data Together for Continuous School Improvement, 2nd ed.
u Using Data to Improve Student Learning in Elementary Schools
u Using Data to Improve Student Learning in Middle Schools
u Using Data to Improve Student Learning in High Schools
u Using Data to Improve Student Learning in School Districts
u From Questions to Actions: Using Questionnaire Data for Continuous School Improvement (with
Bradley J. Geise)
u The School Portfolio Toolkit: A Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation Guide for Continuous
School Improvement
Victoria is passionate about her mission of helping educators continuously improve teaching and learning by
gathering, analyzing, and using data. She provides consultations, professional learning, and keynote addresses for
schools and the agencies that serve them on the topics of comprehensive data analysis, Response to Intervention,
and continuous school improvement. To learn more about Victoria’s work, visit http://eff.csuchico.edu.

Dr. Bernhardt can be reached at: Victoria L. Bernhardt

Executive Director
Education for the Future Initiative
35 Main Street, Suite 204
Chico, CA 95928-5393
Tel: 530-898-4482
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://eff.csuchico.edu
 acknowledgements
x

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement, Third Edition was a tremendous rewrite of the earlier editions
of the same book, that also incorporated some of my other books, becoming my compilation of 25 years of work.
I will always be indebted to the people who supported and helped make the Third Edition a version that brings
me tremendous pride. Those people include:

Sergé Boulé Kathy Miller

Statistical Consultant, Ottawa, Canada Director of Instructional Services, Regional ESD,
Corunna, Michigan
Chuck Breithaupt
Educational Consultant Longitudinal Data Systems, Joy Rose
Wisconsin Retired High School Principal, Columbus, Ohio
Robert Dunn Patsy Schutz
Retired Superintendent, Ontario, Canada Education for the Future Staff, California
Diane Findlay Cheryl Tibbals
Manager, Compass for Success, Ontario, Canada Common Core State Standards Consultant, Lafayette,
California
Brad Geise
Education for the Future Staff, California Phyllis Unebasami
Private Consultant, Hawaii
Robert Geise
Retired Businessman, California Jody Wood
Associate Professor, Educational Leadership, Saint
Connie Hébert
Louis University, Missouri
Educational Consultant, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Kathy McConnachie
Mary Hooper
Principal, Dryden High School, Ontario, Canada
Associate Professor, Educational Leadership,
University of West Georgia, Carrolltown, Georgia

I again acknowledge their input because much of what appeared in the Third Edition remains. It was designed as
a practical user guide, and we got it right.

Since the publication of the Third Edition, my colleagues and I have used that book with hundreds of schools,
nationally and internationally, in training as well as consulting with individual schools. The book did everything
we wanted it to do. It was supportive of Leadership Teams. Leadership Teams were able to engage their staff
in Continuous School Improvement, comprehensive data analysis, creating a shared vision and plan, and in
evaluating programs and processes. We paid attention to what worked and where we could improve descriptions
and examples, or shave off some time or add time to the protocols and estimates at the end of each chapter.
This book, Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement, Fourth Edition, updates the Third Edition by
providing new, evidence-based learnings about how to analyze, report, communicate, and use multiple measures
of data for continuous school improvement. It provides updated tools, timelines, and examples to help all schools
use data to improve teaching and learning.
The Measuring Programs and Processes Table has been expanded into the Program Evaluation Tool to help
schools determine which programs and processes are working or not working and how to ensure the attainment
of school goals using the most effective processes and programs. Most importantly, this Fourth Edition provides a
new, robust example of a comprehensive schoolwide vision that has lead to systemic improvement for the schools
that have used it.
DATA ANALYSIS FOR CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ~ fourth edition
xi

One more time, Joy Rose read and edited many versions of drafts. She was always available to help. Jody Wood
provided her expertise in Universal Instructional Design so we could have a document that will help teachers
and administrators implement Universal Instructional Design with integrity and fidelity. Brad Geise added his
expertise about practical applications from the schools with which he has been working. Hundreds of schools
took a leap of faith that this book would help them reach every student in positive ways. As they learned from the
processes in the book, we learned from them. Mary St. John did an amazing job of getting everything quickly into
the layout. Heather Jarrow, Routledge, guided the production of the book – never wavering when presented with
hard to achieve timelines. Dear husband, Jim Richmond, continued to tolerate the writing process, taking care of
the house and forest, without much help from me.

Thank you to all of you who helped with this book, and to the schools with which Education for the Future has
had the honor to work.
Victoria L. Bernhardt
August 2017
 FROM COMPLIANCE
TO COMMITMENT:
USING DATA FOR CONTINUOUS
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
1
chapter

You cannot force commitment. What you can do…

you nudge a little here, inspire a little there,
and provide a role model. Your primary
influence is the environment you create.
Peter M. Senge
Author, The Fifth Discipline

I have started many workshops in my multi-decade consulting career by asking What would it
participants, “What would it take to get learning growth for every student, take to get learning
every year, in your school?” After deliberation with teammates, teachers and growth for every
administrators tell me these things need to be in place: student, every year,
1. Teachers and administrators must honestly review and use their data— in your school?
ALL their data, not just study a gap here or there.
2. Teachers and administrators must truly believe that all children can
learn, or learning cannot and will not happen.
3. There must be one vision for the school—we have to get everyone on
the same page and moving forward together.
4. One plan to implement the school vision must be in place. We cannot
implement multiple unrelated plans.
5. Curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessments must be aligned
to student learning standards. We will only spin in circles if we do not
have this alignment.
6. Staff need to collaborate and use student, classroom, grade level, and
school level data. Teachers need to work together to determine what
they need to do to ensure every student’s learning.
7. Staff need professional learning to work differently when the data tell
them they are not getting the results they want or that they might not be
getting the results they expect. (Professional learning refers to ongoing,
job-embedded, results-oriented learning for professional educators.) 1
 chapter 1
2
from compliance to commitment : using data for continuous school improvement

8. Schools need to rethink their current structures as opposed to adding on

to what is existing. (Structures include how curriculum and instruction
are delivered. Add-ons are programs and interventions added to close a
gap.)

What I do not hear is: “We have to study our gaps in performance using summative
tests so we can make adequate yearly progress.” Educators know, intuitively and
experientially, that focusing only on gaps in performance on one summative test will
not get student learning improvements for all students, yet it is easy to get caught
up in trying to make the work simpler. When asked what is the hardest to do of the
eight things listed above, most school staff members say, “It is all hard; it all needs
to be done. We don’t know how to do it all; therefore, we never have.” Then they
say, “If we had to pick one thing that is the hardest, it would be honestly reviewing
When only some and using all our data, then making the appropriate changes.”
data are used, the It seems many schools do not have “working structures” in place to systematically
focus is typically and honestly review and then to use all their data to impact student learning results.
on the gaps and Without a system or structure to review all the data, mostly external student learning
improving individual compliance data are used. When only some data are used, the focus is typically
students who are not on the gaps and improving individual students who are not achieving on that one
achieving on the one measure that is used for compliance, and not on what or how teachers are teaching,
measure that is used or how to improve learning for all students. Without a system, structure, or vision in
for compliance, and place to guide the use of all data, there is no new learning to change teacher attitudes,
not on what or how behaviors, or instruction—and ultimately improve student learning.
teachers are teaching,
What would it look like if a school did all eight elements above? And what would
or how to improve
be the outcomes? How can school staff do all these things within the confines of
learning for
a school year? In order to get school staff to do all these things, we need to shift
all students.
staff thinking about data use from simple compliance to a true commitment to
improvement.

MOVING AWAY FROM A SINGULAR FOCUS ON COMPLIANCE,

TOWARD A COMMITMENT TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
When schools When schools focus primarily on compliance, they tend to concentrate their
focus primarily on school improvement efforts on what and how they are being measured. Consider,
compliance, they for example, elementary schools in the United States when the No Child Left
tend to concentrate Behind (NCLB) accountability laws came into being in the early 2000s. Schools
their school were measured on English Language Arts and Mathematics, only. Many schools
improvement efforts believed that if they did well in Reading, everything else would follow. School
on what and how they days were reorganized to provide blocks of time for Language Arts. Many schools
are being measured. made incredible improvements in Language Arts because of that focus; however,
Mathematics scores stayed pretty stagnant during that time. A few years later, many
states changed their Mathematics tests to require students to show how they came
DATA ANALYSIS FOR CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ~ fourth edition
3

up with their answers. To meet these new accountability requirements, schools

scrambled to teach writing, math vocabulary, and math concepts. With the new
focus, those scores improved. Sadly, the Language Arts scores tended to go down.

Fast forward a decade later. Schools were accountable, for the first time, in
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Guess what we found?
Science and Social Studies had not been taught in some schools in the previous ten
years.

When schools focus only on one part of student learning, the others parts will fall
apart. Similar scenarios were created when schools focused on specific subgroups
of students not making proficiency, or on the “Bubble Kids.” “Bubble Kids” are
students who perform just below proficiency. The thought is that by focusing on
moving these students to proficiency, the school is sure to make Adequate Yearly
Progress. Unfortunately, when schools focus only on a small group of students, the
other students do not benefit.

Although efforts focused on one area or one student group caused increases to the
detriment to other areas, many good things came from NCLB. Needs of student
groups who never succeeded before were being met. Teachers learned they have to
work together to get schoolwide gains—improvement in one grade level builds on
the improvement of the previous grade levels. Schools learned that although they
were being measured by one test, it takes more than just improving the results on
that one test to get improvement throughout the school.

And now where are we? Schools are in great need of a framework for continuous When schools use
school improvement and an assessment tool to tell them where they are in the a framework for
process to help them stay focused on systemic improvement. When schools use continuous school
a framework for continuous school improvement along with comprehensive data improvement, along
analysis, they understand how they are getting their results—what is working, and with comprehensive
what is not working. They know the structures to have in place for continuous data analysis, they
school improvement. When schools use a continuous school improvement self- understand how
assessment tool they know where they are in the process and how to get all their they are getting
staff moving forward together. their results—what
is working, and
Figure 1.1 shows the differences in actions on important measures between
what is not working.
schools focused on compliance for accountability and schools that commit to using
comprehensive data analysis for continuous school improvement.

Most of all, schools committed to using comprehensive data analysis to

continuously improve their learning organization are able to blend creativity with
discipline to create their future. Schools focused only on gaps and compliance can
neither innovate nor create a future that looks different from the status quo. Such
an approach inhibits systemic improvement and limits progress toward excellence
and real equity.
 chapter 1
4
from compliance to commitment : using data for continuous school improvement

Figure 1.1
DIFFERENCES
DIFFERENCES IN ACTIONS
IN ACTIONS BETWEEN
BETWEEN SCHOOLSSCHOOLS FOCUSED
FOCUSED ON COMPLIANCE
ON COMPLIANCE AND SCHOOLS
AND SCHOOLS
COMMITTED TO USING COMMITTED TO USING DATA
DATA FOR CONTINUOUS ONLY
SCHOOL FOR
IMPROVEMENT

Key Schools Focused on Compliance Schools Committed to Using Data

Components for Accountability… for Continuous School Improvement…
Data Blame students for poor results (e.g., our results Embrace whom they have as students and learn how
are not very good because our population lives to meet their needs, and ensure that everyone achieves.
Analysis in poverty). Have all staff use demographic, perceptions, student
Use student learning data, only, to close gaps. learning, and school processes data to understand
Focus on “Bubble Kids.” how to—
• meet the needs of students,
• understand what is working and what is not
working,
• use what is working to serve every student,
• predict and prevent failures, and
• optimize successes.

Problem Use problem solving in a reactive fashion. They Prepare staff to know how to problem solve together
tend to add fixes when problems occur. to get to and eliminate contributing causes, in a
Solving proactive fashion.
Vision Focus only on meeting compliance. Have a vision that is shared, about doing whatever
Add programs and interventions to what they it takes to improve teaching and learning.
are already doing when change is needed. Use data to inform the schoolwide vision that is
created, embraced, and implemented by all staff
members. The vision clarifies what teachers will teach,
how teachers will teach and assess, and how everyone
in the organization will treat each other, related to
student learning standards. The vision provides the
means for strategic, fast action—the scenarios have
been played through.
Planning Write school improvement plans to close gaps Proactively write continuous school improvement
related to compliance. School goals are limited plans to implement a shared vision that improves
to improving test scores versus improving student learning for every student and prepares each for
learning. Reactive to compliance reports, these college and careers. The plan interweaves the
plans are usually about “fixing the kids” by leadership structure, professional learning, and
prescribing add-on interventions. partnerships needed to implement the vision.
Leadership Have top-down leadership that requires a focus Create shared decision-making structures that
on compliance and closing gaps. Areas of emphasis support each other as they implement the vision,
change as leaders change. and improve learning for all students.
Professional Use professional learning as a carrot and a stick. Understand that collaboration is required to improve
Learning “If we are failing in this area, everyone has to go teaching and learning. They build structures for all
to this workshop.” staff to collaborate and learn together. Time is
Without new information, teachers do the same dedicated for collaborative teams to review and make
things over and over and hope for different results. meaning of classroom and schoolwide data, and to
discuss and apply options for improving student
learning.
Partnerships Create one-way partnerships with parents, Embrace and plan for win-win partnerships as a
community, and businesses to raise money and means of implementing the vision and creating
get stuff. college and career-ready graduates.
Evaluation Use evaluation when required for external Use data to continuously improve all aspects of the
accountability. learning organization.
Compliance Focus on what is being measured for compliance Focus on creating and improving the learning
purposes only, and are expert at gap analysis. organization to ensure learning for every student
Are content with the status quo as long as it in every subject area, so every student can be
meets compliance requirements. college and career ready. Accountability and
compliance are a part of the process, but not the
sole focus.
DATA ANALYSIS FOR CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ~ fourth edition
5

PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK

Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement, Fourth Edition, is a call to “Data literacy” is
action. It is about inspiring schools and districts to commit to a continuous school the ability to collect,
improvement framework that will result in improving teaching for every teacher, analyze, communicate,
and improving learning for every student, in one year, through the comprehensive and use multiple
use of data. It is about providing a new definition of improvement, away from measures of data to
compliance, toward a commitment to excellence. This book provides the continuously improve
framework for continuous school improvement and guides staff through the work all aspects of the
of moving the entire system forward with examples and tools. Any staff can start learning organization,
wherever they are, follow along, and commit to new levels of improvement, data especially teaching
literacy, and data use. and learning. “Data
Used in this context, data literacy is the ability to collect, analyze, communicate, use” is the ability to
and use multiple measures of data to continuously improve all aspects of the transform data into
learning organization, especially teaching and learning. Data use is the ability to information and then
transform data into information and then into action to improve all aspects of the into action
learning organization. to improve all aspects
of the learning
To grow a data literate staff that uses data for continuous school improvement, organization.
multiple measures of data must be organized and accessible so staff can spend
To grow a data literate
their time analyzing, making meaning of the results, and collaborating with one
staff that uses data
another to improve instruction. Data use will not happen on its own. Structures
for continuous school
for gathering, analyzing, and reporting data, and structures for collaborating
improvement, multiple
and learning together must be created, modeled, monitored, and encouraged.
measures of data must
An organizational shift away from a singular focus on compliance, toward a true
be organized and
commitment to improvement through a shared vision is required.
accessible so staff
can spend their time
STRUCTURE OF THIS BOOK analyzing, making
meaning of the results,
Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement, Fourth Edition, starts with the
and collaborating with
framework for continuous school improvement and comprehensive data analysis.
one another to improve
This book describes each of the components of the framework, structures that
instruction.
lead to a commitment to improved teaching and learning, and provides examples
and activities for schools to do the work on their own. After the components are
All tools described in
described, with references to tools to support the work of the components, a
this text are provided
timeline for doing all the work within one school year is presented. All tools
in the chapters
described in this text are provided in the chapters or appendices.
or appendices.
 chapter 1
6
from compliance to commitment : using data for continuous school improvement

The Framework for Continuous School Improvement

Chapter 2, The Continuous School Improvement Framework, describes
the framework for continuous school improvement that provides a simple,
logical structure for reviewing and using multiple measures of data, creating and
implementing a shared vision, and for measuring the impact of the vision and the
vision implementation strategies on student learning.

Gathering the Data and Cleaning Up the System

Chapter 3, Who We Are: Demographic Data; Chapter 4, How We Do
Business: Perceptions Data; Chapter 5, How Are Our Students Doing: Student
Learning Data; Chapter 6, What Are Our Processes: School Processes Data,
feature the data (demographics, perceptions, student learning, and school processes)
that are important for understanding Where are we now? in the continuous school
improvement framework and in improving learning for all students. Each chapter
defines a data category, why each is important for continuous school improvement,
what data need to be gathered, and how to analyze, report, and use the data.

Engaging Staff in Reviewing and Using Schoolwide Data

Chapter 7, How Did We Get To Where We Are: Looking Across All of
the Data, describes how to engage staff in analyzing all types of data for
comprehensive data analysis that will support your continuous school improvement
efforts. This comprehensive data analysis sets up your school for planning,
visioning, and evaluating.

Going Deeper in the Data to Understand How the School is Getting

Its Results
Chapter 8, What Is Working and What Is Not Working: Delving Deeper Into
the Data, goes deep into a school’s data to understand how the school is getting its
current results. These analyses help staff understand what is working, what is not
It is the shared vision
working, what to do to get different results, and add urgency to do so.
that allows staff
to integrate large
concepts into a Engaging Staff in Creating a Shared Vision
single structure that Chapter 9, Where Do We Want to Be: Creating a Shared Vision and
everyone on staff Monitoring Its Implementation, shows how to create, implement, and monitor a
can understand schoolwide, shared vision. It is the shared vision that allows staff to integrate large
in the same way. concepts into a single structure that everyone on staff can understand in the same
way. It is the vision that ensures that data get used.
DATA ANALYSIS FOR CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ~ fourth edition
7

Creating Structures to Implement the Shared Vision

Chapter 10, How Are We Going to Get to Where We Want to Be: Implementing
the Shared Vision by Creating a Plan for Continuous School Improvement, The collaborative
describes how to create a continuous school improvement plan for implementing structures that
the shared vision in a manner that will lead to improved teaching and ultimately, help with the
increased student learning for all students. The collaborative structures that help implementation of
with the implementation of the vision and plan include leadership, professional the vision and plan
learning, and partnerships. include leadership,
professional learning,
and partnerships.
Collaborating to Use Data
Chapter 11, Strategies for Teachers: Using Data to Implement the Vision
Through the Continuous School Improvement Plan to Improve Teaching
and Learning, discusses meaningful strategies for helping teachers collaborate to
use data to improve their teaching, and the learning for all students.

Evaluating the Work

Chapter 12, Is What We Are Doing Making a Difference: Evaluating Our
Efforts, provides structures for mere mortals to use to evaluate their continuous
school improvement efforts, including evaluation of programs and processes, the
continuous school improvement plan, goals, and vision.

Making the Time for Continuous School Improvement

Chapter 13, Continuous School Improvement Timeline: Making Time to Do
the Work, pulls all the work together into a timeline, with cross-references to
components described in preceding chapters, tools provided in the appendices, and
a description of the artifacts a school would produce using the tools and information
gained from this book.

Transforming a Complying School to a Learning Organization

Chapter 14, The Transformation From a Complying School to a Learning
Organization, concludes the book by reviewing how committing to and
implementing continuous school improvement creates learning organizations that
improve teaching and learning on an ongoing basis.

Each chapter ends with a notice about time, How Much Time Does It Take?,
which describes how much time it would take to do the work described in each
chapter.
 chapter 1
8
from compliance to commitment : using data for continuous school improvement

Also, at the end of each chapter, are Reflection Questions and Application
Opportunities. Reflection questions ensure that readers/book study groups capture
the main concepts of each chapter. You might want to review these questions
before you read the chapter, as they also serve as learner outcomes. The application
opportunities guide school staff through the work of comprehensive data analysis
and continuous school improvement.

Appendices. The appendices house the activities and strategies referenced in the
chapters and the timeline. A list of appendices is shown with the Table of Contents.
Some readers might wonder why some of the appendices were not placed in the
chapters. Appendices that have multiple uses are placed in the back for easy access
and multiple reference and application. For example, instead of splitting up the data
profile graphs and placing some in each data chapter, the graphs are shown in total
as a complete data profile that models what we want schools to put together. At
the same time, the data profile can be used as a case study. Readers can see what it
looks like in complete form; teams can follow it to create their data profile; and a
facilitator can use the whole data profile as a practice case study.

UPDATES
This book updates Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement (Third
Edition, 2013; Second Edition, 2004; and First Edition, 1998). It shares new,
evidence-based learnings about how to analyze, report, communicate, and use
multiple measures data for continuous school improvement, and also provides
updated tools, timelines, and strategies to help schools use data to improve teaching
and learning. This book provides an updated continuous school improvement
framework, explains the components and structures for using schoolwide data for
the purpose of continuous school improvement, and organizes the information for
easy retrieval and application.
DATA ANALYSIS FOR CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ~ fourth edition
9

INTENDED AUDIENCE
The intended audiences for this book are—
1. School and district administrators and teachers working to engage, lead,
and encourage all staff members to commit to using data to continuously
improve their learning organizations.
2. College professors and students learning about continuous school
improvement and data analysis implementation in schools. I would
highly recommend the creation, analysis, and use of a data profile as a
thesis or culminating project.
3. School staff book study groups. This book can help staff start,
troubleshoot, and evaluate their own efforts.
4. District administrator book study groups. This book can help
district administrators think about continuous school improvement
implementation from the perspective of the schools, help them provide
data for the schools, and help them implement a framework in which all
their schools can thrive.
5. Leadership Training Programs, especially Performance-Based
Leadership Courses, that are teaching administrative candidates about
the impact strong leadership and data can have on the implementation
of continuous school improvement in schools. Data Analysis for
Continuous School Improvement, Fourth Edition, can be used to
engage candidates in the work of continuous school improvement and
comprehensive data analysis while getting certificated.

My heartfelt hope is that this book will prove to be so valuable that readers will
never want to part with it in their lifetimes. I would love this book to be one of
those books that graduate students keep with them after they complete their
Administrative and Teaching Credentials, Masters or Doctoral Programs, and find
helpful throughout their careers.
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