Data Mentoring: Building Capacity for Data-Driven Decision Making

All schools have data, but most don't know how to effectively use the information to make decisions. In this free interactive presentation led by Darrell Brown, Assessment & Accountability Coordinator of Beaumont USD (CA), participants will learn how Beaumont and WestEd partnered to build the capacity of teachers to read, analyze, and interpret assessment data to inform their planning. This presentation will be co-facilitated by Lori Van Houten, Senior Program Associate with WestEd's Comprehensive School Assistance Program.

Presenters

Darrell Brown (Primary)

Accountability & Assessment Coordinator
Beaumont Unified School District

Lori Van Houten

Educational Consultant
Inquiry Consulting

Description

In Beaumont, through a process called "Data Mentoring," teachers learned how to disaggregate results, look for trends, and make instructional adjustments. Teachers in a pilot school also learned how to use the information they gleaned to develop, implement, and monitor a responsive school plan for improving student achievement.

In this webcast, participants will find out how, in the first year of Data Mentoring, the skills were so widely applied that Beaumont USD went from a year of declining API (California's Academic Performance Index) scores to the highest growth in the county and part of the top 11% statewide. The district also experienced an 8.3 percentage point improvement on ELA AYP and 10.1 percentage point gain on Math AYP.

To find out more about Beaumont Unified School District, please go to their website at http://www.beaumontusd.k12.ca.us/home.htm.

Data mentoring presentations from Beaumont discussed during the session are available below under "Related Materials." In addition, Dr. Van Houten and colleagues have profiled the WestEd activities and tools for developing, implementing, and monitoring a school plan in Developing an Effective School Plan: An Activity-Based Guide to Understanding Your School and Improving Student Outcomes.

Schools on the Right Track: Mathson Middle School

Ideas in Action: Baldwin Academy

Ideas in Action: Central Union High School

Data Use and Teacher Collaboration: One School’s Success Story

Closing the Learning Gap: Steps That Work