Drilling Down the Data: Helpful tools for

principals Drew Maerz, Director

Educational Data, Assessment & ResearchMoore County Schools

February 18, 2010dmaerz@ncmcs.org

910-947-2342

Questions to be answered:

1. What are the limitations to data disaggregation at the school level?

2. What role can accountability play in removing these limitations?

3. How can schools be assured data is up-to-date?

4. Are there tools available for principals/schools to drill down their data?

Data Driven Teaching and Learning

FUTURE-READY STUDENTS for the 21st Century The guiding mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education is that every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st Century.

Goal: NC public schools will be led by 21st Century professionals.:

• Every teacher and administrator will use a 21st Century assessment system to inform instruction and measure 21st Century knowledge, skills, performance, and dispositions.

• Every educational professional uses data to inform decisions.

Limitations to Data Disaggregation

Limitations to school level data

disaggregation

Accurate & Timely Data

Finding Time

Technical Skills

Questions Asked about Data Disaggregation Limitations

Accurate & Timely Data:– When is the formative and summative data made

available?– Is the data accurate?

Time:– Is data available when principals and school leadership

have the time to disaggregate data?– Is data presented in a format that limits the time needed

for disaggregation?

Technical Skills– What format is data presented to principals and schools?– Are principals and school leadership trained in

disaggregation techniques and technical skills?

Removing Limitations

Accurate and Timely Data– Accessing data available immediately

after it is available.– Using existing data sources to

expedite making data usable by school leadership.

– Limit the amount of hand-entry or manipulation to limit human error.

– Prescreen data for omissions/corrections when possible.

Removing Limitations

Time– Allow principals to use “down time” to work

with data (breaks and summer).– Assure subgroups (traditional and non-

traditional) can be evaluated.– Place data in a format that is accessible to

school leadership on an “as-needed” basis.– Allow disaggregation at the school,

grade/subject, teacher, section, and student level.

– Make multiple data sources conveniently available.

Removing Limitations

Technical Skills– Develop a low-tech tool for school level

data disaggregation .– Work with school leadership to

differentiate technical skills development.

– Assure access to updated data is immediately available.

– Respond to school-specific data needs.

Building a Model for Disaggregation

1. Remove as many limitations as possible

2. Utilize existing technology available in schools

3. Limit the technical skills required to access the data

4. Blend multiple data sources as needed by schools

5. Allow for training sessions of 1 hour or less with school leadership

Improved Accessibility

Make Data Notebooks Electronic:– Allows for immediate updating of data– Allows system access and limited

access by schools, as appropriate– Allows longitudinal data access– Allows for online training or problem

solving– Utilizes schoolwires© web design tools

Electronic Data Notebooks

Access to data is Password protected

Data in Electronic Notebook

Data in Electronic Notebook

Electronic Data Notebook

• Data is controlled by the Educational Assessment Department

• Data is updated as it is received or generated

• Access is limited– Superintendent’s Cabinet has access to all

schools– Principals have access to their own school– Principals may grant access to assistant

principals through request• Allows a secure portal for sharing data

with schools

Supporting Disaggregation

Most principals are familiar with using MS Excel for accessing data.

To expand upon principals' comfort and familiarity with MS Excel, we decided to utilize pivot tables as a

tool for data disaggregation.

Building a Useable Spreadsheet

Look at existing data sources available:– ABC Tools– Secure Shell– NC WISE– CECAS– Local data bases

Building a Useable Spreadsheet

Growth – ABC_GrowthPre from the Secure Shell– Adhoc Course Export from NC WISE for teachers

and classesPredictions

– ABC_target from the Secure Shell– Adhoc Course Export from NC WISE for teachers

and classesOther

– ACCHist from ABCTools– AYP_ABC from Secure Shell for subgroup data– Adhoc exports from NC WISE for student group

and demographic analysis

Using Access 2007 to build a Spreadsheet

Pulled from the Adhoc Course Report from NC WISE

Pulled from ABC_GROWTHPRE from the Secure Shell

Local creation to link School Name and School Code

Using Access 2007 to build a Spreadsheet

Save the data base as an Excel Spreadsheet for use by School Leaders

Drilling Down DataA Link on our Electronic Data Notebooks

Real Data

from a build fora generic middle school

Sample Pivot Tables

Count of current_ach_level current_ach_levelsubject pre_ach_level 1 2 3 4 Grand TotalA1 3 4 22 8 34

4 14 44 58(blank) 1 1

A1 Total 4 37 52 93

MA 1 7 14 7 282 18 77 79 1 1753 34 275 81 3904 1 43 159 203

(blank) 4 6 20 11 41MA Total 29 132 424 252 837

RD 1 46 33 9 882 37 85 73 5 2003 4 48 204 67 3234 3 54 127 184

(blank) 6 8 17 10 41RD Total 93 177 357 209 836

Grand Total 122 313 818 513 1766

Previous Achievement v. Present achievement

Sample Pivot TablesGrowth by Teacher

Count of current_ach_level Met Growthsubject Teacher Name No Yes Grand TotalA1 BB 24 9 33

II 1 15 13 29NN 22 9 31

A1 Total 1 61 31 93

MA BB 2 14 60 76CC 5 14 77 96FF 8 34 67 109GG 4 38 73 115HH 1 1II 4 13 83 100JJ 4 31 39 74LL 6 1 7NN 4 26 59 89PP 5 36 34 75TT 3 56 36 95

MA Total 40 268 529 837

RD AA 4 31 41 76DD 3 42 43 88EE 6 47 52 105HH 1 1KK 2 37 37 76LL 3 2 5MM 3 47 51 101OO 1 21 28 50QQ 10 39 58 107RR 3 44 37 84SS 2 22 23 47UU 5 34 57 96

RD Total 40 367 429 836

Grand Total 81 696 989 1766

Sample Pivot TablesGrowth in Students with Disabilities

subject category No Yes Grand TotalMA AU 1 1

ED 2 2IDMI 1 1LD 11 23 34OH 4 7 11

MA Total 18 31 49

RD AU 1 1ED 1 1 2IDMI 1 1LD 16 15 31OH 6 5 11

RD Total 24 22 46

Grand Total 42 53 95

Sample Pivot Tables

Count of current_ach_level current_ach_levelTeacher Name ethnicity 1 2 3 4 Grand TotalFF AMIN 1 1 1 3

ASIA 2 2BLCK 1 4 5 1 11HISP 2 3 1 6MULT 1 1WHTE 3 13 49 21 86

FF Total 5 19 61 24 109

Grand Total 5 19 61 24 109

Count of current_ach_level Met GrowthTeacher Name subject sex No Yes Grand TotalFF MA F 28.30% 71.70% 100.00%

M 39.58% 60.42% 100.00%MA Total 33.66% 66.34% 100.00%

FF Total 33.66% 66.34% 100.00%

Grand Total 33.66% 66.34% 100.00%

Teacher Specific Reports

Future Plans

• Methods for providing growth data to our year-round school leaders before July 1

• Incorporating formative assessment data into the spreadsheet for disaggregation

• Increasing the use of NC WISE’s capabilities for data driven decision making

• Develop additional staff development to improve principal use of data

• Creating a tool for building data sets to meet the individual needs of schools

Questions or Comments