I was just involved with the school improvement plan process as part of the whole group and the database committee. We unfortunately had to record ourselves in the "just getting started" area of the improvement plan due to the fact we had not centrally collected and used data to drive school-wide and curriculum decisions. Our primary data base is our Power Grade software where we are able to collect attendance, lunch information, and student academic progress. Testing data was also used in the form of MEAP scores. Prior to this year we had also used the data from Stanford 9 testing, but our new management company decided not to implement the test this year. This will unfortunately not allow us to gather data and analyze trends over a five year period or be able to show student growth from our kindergartners (who where with us when we opened) to our current fourth grade. Teachers also do not have access to school wide data, only the students in their own classroom. We have recently imported data from Power School into the database on our school website, but no training has been offered to guide teachers on how to use that information.
Students use databases when they conduct surveys, create electronic lists of spelling words and work on collaborative projects. We just finished classroom wide collaborative projects for Black History Month where students collected and shared facts. This information was stored using Microsoft Access and other Office Suite features on the student drive of the school server. I observed a class pull from this database and create a whole group time line on Motown legends. Upper elementary students also create their own databases in the contacts portion of email accounts and using excel to create graphs and charts.
I know a successful teacher needs to become more aware of creating, using and sharing data throughout the school. For assessment purposes, we will be purchasing NWEA assessment programming which collects and analyzes data from test results for the teacher. Our school website will need to have complete student data imported and input over the summer so that teachers may have access to quickly change and update information and use data to make classroom decisions. I personally have not done a mail merge and look forward to creating a database separated by grade and class to easily send our homework, reminders, and class information to parents.
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Gail,
ReplyDeleteOur school system does the same thing that yours does with data. You can look at your own but not others individual students. We use this system called Pearson Inform. In theory its good but no one really uses it because of it's constant unpredictability. How do you train your students with the use of access? I find it hard to use personally and I don't push students to use it because of my lack of knowledge. After this module, like you I'm going to try to use access too.
Gail,
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling your school is working quite a bit with databases. Like your school, our district's largest database is our student information system, Zangle. We converted to this system last summer and it was a huge undertaking. The amount of data that was converted and imported was enormous, but we had a great team working on this. It sounds like you have a great team in your school too.
I am excited that we give the impression that we are actually using data to drive decision making!! It seems like every year we hear "the talk" and then find ourselves starting over. This is the first time we have put together a technology team, however, and there is a renewed importance on either using the database tools we have or finding another option that everyone will buy into!! Personally, I would much rather see what a school district like Hazel Park has going on with database use and try to implement those ideas where they could fit with our small charter school.
ReplyDeleteI love hearing how your students are using databases and glad to hear that you will start exploring more :)
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