OVERVIEW OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTION 1: GATHERING DATA

EF 1 and GAINS Step 1Actions
Educators establish collaborative process for collecting data = GATHER.Gather as a team using a collaborative structure.

Gather informational data.

Become familiar with the data.

DBDM is best accomplished through collaborative team structures.  While this module focuses on the cycle of DBDM, more information on creating effective collaborative team structures can be found in the Collaborative Team Structures Online Course (https://www.moedu-sail.org/courses/collaborative-team-structures).

An important step in the ”Gather” phase is to prepare for the data meeting by becoming familiar with the data to be discussed.  Make sure of the following.

  • Everyone has access to the data.
  • The data is organized in a similar way.
  • To consider how you might need to disaggregate the data into different groups?
  • To collect useful data that will help your team advance student learning.

Effective data teams ask themselves “What do we need to know?” and then select data that will answer that question.  Teams will know they have chosen the “right” data when it provides useful information to make decisions about such things as instructional next steps and feedback for student learning.

At different points in the year, teams may consider different sources of data.  Look at the data sources (Love, Stiles, Mundry & DiRanna, 2008). below and think about which types of data will provide the best information about what you want to know?  At what points in the year might you consider different sources?

Formative Assessments

Formative Assessments

Teacher created, teacher owned assessments that provide immediate information to students and teachers about learning needs and academic progress (e.g. performance assessments, student self-assessments, descriptive feedback, selected responses,
written responses).

Benchmark Assessments

Benchmark Assessments

Evaluates where students are in the learning progression to determine whether students are on track for performing well on standardized tests. Provides information on content standard progress (e.g. end-of-unit tests, common grade-level tests).

Common Formative Assessments

Common Formative Assessments

Team-designed intentional measures used for the purpose of monitoring student attainment of essential learning targets (e.g. math problem of the week, writing samples, science journals, other student work).

Descriptive Data

Descriptive Data

Information about people, practices, and/or perceptions (e.g. demographic, enrollment, survey, interview, observations, curriculum maps).

Summative Assessments

Summative Assessments

Used to evaluate student learning and academic achievement at the conclusion of a specific instructional period. More evaluative than diagnostic (e.g. aggregated, disaggregated, strand items).

For more information on the use of Common Formative Assessments, see the Common Formative Assessment Online Course (https://www.moedu-sail.org/courses/common-formative-assessment/).

What data are you currently collecting/charting?  What data do you think you need to be collecting/charting?