DDM Basics.............................................................................................
DataDriven Decision Making is a sustainable process that enables planning, instructional and reporting activities by making student data easy to access and use. We focus here on using student assessment data.
Foundations of DDM:
1. A coherent interface such as a longitudinal data system that houses the data
2. Enriching opportunities that deepen users’ capacities to use data to inform practice
3. Careful alignment of standards for teaching and learning, instruction and assessments |
Why is DDM Important?
Research shows that when educators have access to data describing the strengths and weaknesses of individual students, and when that data aligns with research-based teaching strategies, they can respond to the needs of individual students in ways that may result in higher student achievement.
What is a Longitudinal Data System?
Longitudinal data systems (LDS) typically encompass all data for a particular school district or, as is becoming recently more common, a particular state. There is no ‘template’ or ‘standard’ for the types of data contained in these interfaces, but most often they include educational data such as:
- Student demographic data – e.g. attendance records; gender; ethnicity and grade level
- Student performance data – e.g. course grades; proficiencies on standardized, norm-referenced and criterion referenced tests and grade point averages
- District-wide or school-wide program data – e.g. programs offered, enrollments and effectiveness measures
- Teacher demographic data – e.g. number of years teaching; certification status and gender
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Data are typically entered into an online or paperless system using unique identifiers, so that individuals (students, teachers, programs) can be tracked longitudinally to illustrate changes over time. Cohort tracking and disaggregation, which involves dismantling or separating the aggregate information to examine the performances of specific subgroups of students, also require unique identifiers.
Some data systems also include a library of standards-based instructional resources available to teachers who are ready to implement data-based instruction (link to assessment forms) in their classrooms.
To learn more about the 10 essential elements of LDS, visit www.dataqualitycampaign.org.
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