{"id":22345,"date":"2024-06-18T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/?p=22345"},"modified":"2024-10-17T09:05:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T16:05:55","slug":"k-12-data-leadership-be-the-change-for-your-school-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/2024\/k-12-data-leadership-be-the-change-for-your-school-community\/","title":{"rendered":"K\u201312 data leadership: Be the change for your school community"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I will never forget the day I was hired as a teacher. There was one position open in a local school, and the principal was excited to offer me the job as I had been a student teacher and then a substitute there. I walked the fifteen minutes from my home on that hot, late summer New York City day, passed through those big red doors, and waited in the office for my name to be called. Soon enough I was informed of an open sixth- and seventh-grade 12:1 math position. Could I teach students with IEPs? Sure thing. Could I teach math? You betcha. The principal and I shook hands and he congratulated me on becoming the school\u2019s newest faculty member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The moment I emerged from those metal doors and began the walk back home, the reality of the situation hit me: I had just been hired as a math teacher. I did not<\/em> grow up a \u201cmath person.<\/a>\u201d While I was in the higher performing classes due to tracking, as a student, math was my Achilles heel. It was the one subject that perpetually held down my overall average, the one subject I needed a tutor in, and the one subject that made me sweat and dread school. But here I was, about to become a math person, whether I liked it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As every teacher knows, that first year was a trial by fire. I struggled to keep my head above water those first few months. Then, one day, I gave myself a firm talking to. I confronted my negative disposition toward math, which had been exacerbated by years of struggle and disconnect between me and the subject. I told myself that I was<\/em> a math person, that this shift, this work, was essential, and that I was going to rewrite my math story.  A few years later, I had become a leader in the department, and my classroom was often showcased during high-stakes school visits and highlighted for its innovative lessons. When I left the classroom many years later, I felt a deep sense of pride for all I had accomplished. That inner sixth-grader who, once upon a time, failed math couldn\u2019t have been more proud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, when we face necessary \u201cevils\u201d\u2014uncomfortable systems or processes or subjects that we can\u2019t live with or without\u2014we defer to old habits. When presented with that first teaching assignment, I really wanted to melt back into my old ways of interacting with math: ignore, procrastinate, or just get by. However, I knew my students would suffer if I didn\u2019t show myself some tough love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I now have the pleasure of working with school and district leaders in my role at NWEA as a senior professional learning consultant. In this capacity, I am able to have robust, honest conversations with those who are responsible for the health and growth of a school and its community. We speak frankly about K\u201312 data leadership, the things that are working, and the obstacles to progress. Year after year, I\u2019ve heard the same responses from school leaders: they know their assessment reports are important, but they\u2019re just not a \u201cdata person.\u201d Well, you\u2019ve come to the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data is essential<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stay with me while I lean into a metaphor many of us can relate to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine you go for a routine physical. The doctor is out of network, but you\u2019ve weighed the cost of a visit and deemed it valuable since they are a leader in their field. A week later, you receive your results: a carefully packaged, in-depth summary of your current health. The doctor has even taken the time to provide a few suggestions based on your results. You get the folio and toss it in your trunk, your linen closet, your kid\u2019s toy chest. For weeks. You just don\u2019t have the time for it; it\u2019s too much to read and you feel fine, for the most part. But, why? There\u2019s no point in going to a doctor if you aren\u2019t going to acknowledge your results in a timely manner and make changes, however small, based on their recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same goes for K\u201312 data. What is the point in administering an assessment if the data isn\u2019t going to be used to its fullest potential? Data is essential, but it can feel like a necessary evil if your default disposition is to ignore, procrastinate, or just get by. While it doesn\u2019t take much to go from data novice to data rockstar, the first step to overcoming any obstacle is to admit that there is one in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-assess to get started<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you feel as though you may need to refresh your data aptitude, or if you find yourself rethinking your data habits as you read this, you\u2019re off to a good start. Self-reflection is a necessary prerequisite in any growth process. To begin, I encourage you to ask yourself questions such as the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n