The focus for our Staff Meeting this month was to highlight the work of the Data Analysis Team and how staff are accessing data to inform teaching practice and enhance student learning and outcomes.

The team highlighted Bernhardt’s multiple measures of data – demographic data, perception data, student learning and school processes and focused on the student perception and student learning data.

Bernhardt’s model of analysis asks staff to highlight trends and patterns in the multiple measures of data and to also identify the problem-solving cycle and program analysis.

Staff focused on the problem-solving cycle. This form of analysis uses effective strategies to engage staff in:

• Their preconceptions
• New levels of thinking about a problem/challenge
• Further exploration/analysis of their idea through the measures of data
• Data informed solutions

A small group of staff have also worked with Dr Tim O’Leary and student perception data. This perception survey links feedback from students with high impact strategies identified in the broad evidence base including the work of Hattie and Marzano. The survey identifies strengths as well as opportunities for improvement in teacher practice. Teachers are therefore able to identify a goal, an area to develop and investigate current research in greater depth.

Student Learning Data ‘paints a picture’ of students understanding of the knowledge and skills presented.  The Data Analysis Team discussed how they see data as a process to diagnose, monitor and evaluate their impact as educators (as referred to in Dr Tim O’Leary’s work).

The process is:

• Access: How staff can access the range of data to inform decisions
• Analyse: Analyse the data both individually and collaboratively
• Articulate: Develop plans to support student achievement
• Enact:  Next steps and adjusted practice
• Evaluate: Evaluate the impact of the next steps

Examples of this cycle was highlighted, and staff were encouraged to view this as an ongoing process.

The College will continue their data journey to strive for continuous improvement in student learning and outcomes. To quote Dr Selena Fisk – a data expert / ‘champion’:

Clare Kelly
Assistant Principal: Performance and Development