The Data Coach's Guide to Improving Learning for All Students. Katherine E. Stiles
Resource R2.3
Criteria for Selecting Data Coaches
Interpersonal communication is key. If you develop a relationship with people, they will work with you. You’ve also got to be very comfortable with the data.
—Ann Wacker, Mathematics and Data Coach Plain Local Schools, Canton, Ohio
Few people come with the full complement of knowledge and skills that are desirable for Data Coaches. Data Coaches are made, not born. They will develop over time through training and experience. In selecting Data Coaches, look for someone
with the sanction or authority of the district or school administration to play the coach role and to lead Data Teams: Data Coaches can only operate if their role is officially sanctioned and they have the authority, time, and legitimacy to convene and lead Data Teams. Often instructional, assessment, school improvement coaches or coordinators, principals or assistant principals, or team leaders become Data Coaches.
who demonstrates leadership in instructional improvement—either as an effective and collaborative teacher, an instructional coach, or an administrator who garners the respect of others and is an instructional leader.
who has a moral commitment to ensuring equity and learning for all students: The role calls for people who are passionate about equity, willing to stand up for their beliefs, and committed to strengthening their own cultural proficiency.
who is a skilled collaborator and team facilitator.
who has basic knowledge of school data and assessments: Data Coaches do not need to be experts in statistics or complex data management systems, but they should know the basics of interpreting results and not be afraid of data. Basic knowledge of Excel is a plus.
who has a willingness to take risks, make mistakes, and continuously learn.
Developing Data Coaches
This book is designed to prepare Data Coaches to carry out their role. It provides step-by-step directions for conducting the 19 Using Data tasks with Data Teams. Individual Data Coaches can prepare themselves for their role by studying the background information and following the detailed procedures in this book and on the CD-ROM. If you are a leader who will be preparing a group of Data Coaches to assume their role, we suggest that you form a study group for the coaches focused on learning the material in this book. The Data Coaches can learn and practice using the tasks with each other in their study group and then use them with Data Teams. After Data Team meetings, the Data Coaches can come back together, debrief their experiences, and prepare for the next set of tasks.
Besides preparation and time to get to know the materials in this book, Data Coaches need time to meet with teams, full access to data, and administrative support. How much time? Some Data Coaches in the Using Data Project worked full-time leading Data Teams in just one school. These Data Coaches gathered and prepared common assessment data and facilitated the process for all the grade-level teams in every content area in their buildings. In most of the elementary and middle schools in Clark County, Nevada, three Data Coaches (a principal and two full-time teachers) shared the role. In Canton City, Ohio, two full-time Data Coaches served four middle schools, one in mathematics and one in science, and two more full-time Data Coaches, one focused on mathematics and one on science, served the district’s two major high schools.
Organize Data Teams
A Data Team is a group of teachers and ideally their building administrator, typically from four to eight members, who work together to use data and improve student learning at the school level. Data Teams can take many different forms. At an elementary school, they often are composed of representatives of different grade levels and focused on a particular content area, such as mathematics. Or they can be a school improvement team or leadership team looking at all content areas and grade levels. In some elementary schools, there is a schoolwide Data Team with representatives from each grade level, who in turn lead grade-level Data Teams. In a middle school or junior and high school, Data Teams are generally organized by department or content area. In some cases, all the members of the department constitute the Data Team. In others, the Data Team is a smaller representative group from the department. In high schools, teachers who teach the same course may form a Data Team. In schools organized as professional learning communities with all teachers participating in teams, those teams function as Data Teams. In the Using Data Project, many schools started out with just one Data Team, but later expanded to every teacher being a member of a Data Team.
As you consider whom to invite onto the Data Team, keep the purpose of your Data Team in mind and use that as a criterion for membership. For example, if the purpose is to use collaborative inquiry in a particular subject area such as language arts or mathematics, your team should include teachers and other staff who have responsibilities in this area, such as members of the district’s curriculum committee and staff who have been involved in other related initiatives (e.g., textbook selection and professional development planning in these subjects). If the purpose is to use the Using Data Process to look across all subject areas, you will want to balance the representation to include members from across the different curriculum areas. Other equally important considerations are racial/ethnic diversity and inclusion of specialists such as teachers of English Language Learners or of students with exceptional needs.
There may be a group already in place that you can tap for the Data Team. For example, you may have a group of teacher-leaders who are responsible for mentoring other teachers or a school improvement committee. Look for people who are opinion leaders and reflect different perspectives and can be ambassadors to others for the project. While membership on Data Teams is usually on a volunteer basis, work with others at your site to encourage people who might not volunteer right away to consider being a part of the team. Relying on the “usual suspects” who volunteer for everything can sometimes result in a team of people with too many competing demands on their time and/or who are not representative of the diversity in your school. You may want to consider tapping individuals who are even somewhat skeptical of the process. These individuals can be particularly helpful in identifying roadblocks and concerns that others may be thinking, but not comfortable voicing.
What Do Data Teams Do?
Typical responsibilities for Data Team members might include
collecting and analyzing a variety of types of school data
developing or adapting common assessment instruments
commiting to norms of collaboration and to examining data from an equity perspective
using the processes and tools in this guide to identify student-learning problems, verify causes, generate solutions, and monitor and achieve results for students
consulting research to investigate problems, causes, and best practice
developing data-supported action plans
communicating with staff and key stakeholders about the findings and the plans
overseeing the implementation of the plan (schoolwide or vertically) and/or implementing instructional improvement in their own classrooms (grade, course, or subject teams)
sharing successes and challenges from their own classrooms and/or at the school level
engaging a broader group of stakeholders to gain their input, involvement, and commitment
coordinating with other school or district initiatives and leaders
developing their knowledge and skills in data literacy and collaborative inquiry; content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and generic pedagogical knowledge; cultural proficiency; and leadership and facilitation
Clarifying Roles and Responsibilities