Getting MORE Excited About USING Data

Put data to WORK to better meet the needs of all students Have you become hyper-focused on state tests?  Do you have important data collected, warehoused, and gathering dust? The time has come to dust off that data and put it to work for your students. The new reporting requirements under ESSA, combined with the flexibility to act on that data, provide a huge opportunity for education leaders. This is your opportunity to rebuild data processes and rekindle excitement about using data for school and student growth. Getting MORE Excited About USING Data addresses both cultural and technical aspects of using data, starting with underlying beliefs about students, assessment, and individual and collective teacher efficacy. This updated edition features: Guiding questions and protocols for effective professional learning communities, shared leadership teams and subject/grade teaching teams New material on the use of formative assessment in schoolwide planning and instructional design Renewed focus on the role of students  Tips on the electronic challenges of storage, retrieval, privacy and security Real-life examples from schools and districts ranging from specific data displays to sustained, long-term change  The straightforward language, adaptable models, and focus on human elements make Getting MORE Excited about USING Data an essential resource for every leader. The time is now to use data to establish a collaborative culture with student success at its core.  "Holcomb leads educators to use data as a catalyst to foster their passion for continuous learning, I highly recommend her pragmatic approach in looking at data as a means to stir the hearts and minds of educators for the sake of our future human resources: the students we serve." Kathy Larson, Author Coaching for Infinite Results "This book is full of practical supports, resources, and illustrations. It is well grounded in the work of schools and the importance of data to that mission." Megan Tschannen-Moran, Professor of Educational Leadership College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Table of Contents:
List of Figures Foreword by Shirley Hord Preface Why Another Book What’s New Here in the Third What This Book Is Not What This Book Is How This Book Is Organized Acknowledgments About the Author Chapter 1: Excited About Data—Really?! Unexpected Excitement The Urgency Remains Excitement—Killed by Compliance Every Student Succeeds Act Enters Amid Continuing Challenges What Data Matters Now Progress in Data Use Excitement Extinguishers Chapter 2: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . It Fits Your Beliefs Espoused School Beliefs Beliefs About Students Beliefs About Assessment Surfacing Beliefs and Acknowledging Differences Collective Commitments and Courageous Conversations From Caution and Compliance to Commitment Chapter 3: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . It Feels Safe Fear of Evaluation Fear of Exposure Fear Masquerading as Resistance Surfacing the Fears Responding to Concerns Building Trust Chapter 4: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . You’re Not Doing It Alone Team Structures for Collaboration Communication for Team Connections Common Language for Collaboration Norms and Protocols Interdependence of Culture and Structure Chapter 5: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . You See Faces in It Seeing Faces of Diversity and Equity Watching Faces Over Time Features on the Faces Are More Than Scores Hearing the Voices From the Faces Helping Students Face Their Learning Face-to-Face With Families Chapter 6: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . It’s Easy to Get Types of Data Displays Key Features of Data Displays Access to Data Doing It Ourselves: A School Creates Its Own Data System Chapter 7: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . It Fits a Bigger Picture A Contrast of Cases Components of the School’s Big Picture Key Points for Stakeholder Involvement Picturing the Work of Teaching Teams Inquiry in Teaching Teams Viewing Teaching Teams in Action Chapter 8: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . It Saves Resources Consolidating Multiple and Existing Plans Testing Assumptions Before Seeking Solutions Confirming Best Practices Learning From Best-in-Class Schools Vetting New Programs Saying “No, Thank You” Chapter 9: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . You Can Do Something About It Stick to Your Own Sphere Analyze the Offered Curriculum Fill Curriculum Gaps Critique the Culture Compare Best Practice and Typical Practice Determine What to Try—and What to Stop Develop Action Plans Chapter 10: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . You Have Time to Deal With It Kinds of Time Needed A System Look at Data Studying and Repurposing Time Available Using Time Wisely Chapter 11: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . It Shows You’ve Made a Difference Tending to Teacher Efficacy Producing Evidence of Implementation Generating Evidence of Impact Using Data to Demonstrate the Difference You Make Reaping Unexpected Benefits Spreading a Little Cheer One School’s Story Chapter 12: You Get More Excited About Data When . . . You Have Appropriate Support Touch the Talent in the Trenches Deliver on Reciprocal Accountability Redesign Professional Development for Learning Model Use of Data for Continuous Improvement Revisit Curriculum Roles Dedicate Time Tailor Tech Support Test Data Warehouses Protect Data Security and Privacy Support Principals One District’s Inside-Out Story Chapter 13: Get More Excited Review and Reflect Choose Your Next Steps Rock Your World References and Suggested Readings Index

About the Author :
Edie L. Holcomb is executive director of curriculum and instructional services for Kenosha Unified School District No. 1 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She has experienced the challenges of improving student achievement from many perspectives: From classroom teacher to university professor From gifted education coordinator to mainstream teacher of children with multiple disabilities From school- and district-level administration to national and international consulting From small rural districts to the challenges of urban education She is highly regarded for her ability to link research and practice on issues related to instructional leadership and school and district change—including standards-based curriculum, instruction, assessment, supervision, and accountability. She has taught at all grade levels, served as a building principal and central office administrator, and assisted districts as an external facilitator for accreditation and implementation of school reform designs. As associate director of the National Center for Effective Schools, she developed a training program for site-based teams and provided technical support for implementation of school improvement efforts throughout the United States and in Canada, Guam, St. Lucia, and Hong Kong. She developed a comprehensive standards-based learning system for the staff and 47,000 students of the Seattle, Washington, city district and has supervised K–12 clusters of schools and evaluated principals. Her work received the Excellence in Staff Development Award from the Iowa Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development in 1988. In 1990, her study of the needs of beginning principals was recognized by the American Association of School Administrators with the Paul F. Salmon Award for Outstanding Education Leadership Research. She served as an elected member-at-large on the Leadership Council for ASCD International, played an active role in Washington State’s School Improvement Assistance Program, and contributed to development of the new School System Improvement Resource Guide. Holcomb is the author of four previous books and numerous articles and reviews.

Review :
"A wonderful style of writing; very approachable and practical. Dr. Holcomb offers great tools, ideas, and strategies on using data." "Edie Holcomb’s materials are thorough and useful.  I utilized the previous edition of this book when teaching districts to use data to identify how to improve the academic achievement of students with disabilities." "This book is full of practical supports, resources, and illustrations. It is well grounded in the work of schools and the importance of data to that mission." "Dr. Holcomb provides vignettes and examples that offer insight into the day-to-day realities of school improvement issues. The ideas are presented in a logical manner and questions throughout the book provide opportunity for reflection." "When Dr. Holcomb published her first edition of "Getting Excited About Data", I was intrigued. She was not only a colleague of mine, but the term "excited" about data held a curiosity for me as data, at that time, had a sterilized, impersonal , and even fearful perception for teachers who truly entered the field as caring, nurturing professionals that fostered student development in a wholistic framework. I came to think otherwise after reading her work. Now, with her third edition and Dr. Holcomb’s intent to lead educators to use data as a catalyst to foster their passion for continuous learning, I highly recommend her pragmatic approach in looking at data as a means to stir the hearts and minds of educators for the sake of our future human resources: the students we serve." "Yet again Edie Holcomb has engaged her exemplary skills in creating a significant new edition. This third volume conveys for us rich new ideas, understandings, and insights in providing the culture, content, and processes that will ensure that our data use leads to increased teaching quality and better outcomes for our students."