How can educators use data strategically to support teaching, learning, and continuous improvement? 

UChicago Consortium Lewis-Sebring Director, Dr. Elaine Allensworth shared a clear framework for using data that matters most for student achievement, from her new book, Using Data to Improve Schools. 

Liz Dozier moderated our panel discussion, featuring perspectives from school and district leaders who are bridging data and practice to support educator collaboration and student success: Nicole Milberg, Chicago Public Schools; Barbara Manjarrez, Back of the Yards College Preparatory; and Lauren Musial, Network for College Success at UChicago.

Highlights & Key Takeaways 

Book talk (starts at 4:47) 

  • Data is a collaboration and communication tool
    • How data are used to move change - what to focus on
    • What gives the best signals to act/change action
    • Teams need a focus to be effective
  • Properties of strong metrics
    • Reliability
    • Validity
    • Predictiveness
    • Malleability
    • Clarity
    • Availability
  • Need to match data to the correct purpose | The HOW
    • Schools can be data rich, information poor
      • Standardized tests don’t give enough detailed information about learning
    • Principal has to filter - instructional leadership teams in elem schools look at everything
    • To drive school improvement, data must be malleable and predictive of ultimate goal
    • Important to focus on what is in your control, and monitor progress with timely data.

Panel discussion (starts at 23:24)

How do you think about and use data in your role—and what’s one type of data you look at regularly that really matters for the work you’re trying to do? (29.23)

What Data Views, Stances, or Perspectives Have Been Most Impactful? (42:13)

What Are You Still Trying to Figure Out? What’s Hard to Measure? (54:04)

Helpful Links:

More information on the Cultivate Survey mentioned in the panel discussion can be found here.

More information on the 5Essentials Survey can be found here.

This discussion included insights from: 

  • Elaine Allensworth, Lewis-Sebring Director, UChicago Consortium on School Research
  • Nicole Milberg, Chief of Teaching and Learning at Chicago Public Schools
  • Barbara Manjarrez, Principal, Back of the Yards College Preparatory at Chicago Public Schools
  • Lauren Musial, Senior Transformation Coach, Network for College Success at UChicago

It was facilitated by Krystal Payne, Executive Director of the UChicago Network for College Success, and Liz Dozier, founder and CEO of Chicago Beyond moderated our panel discussion.

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