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Bestseller!

Getting Excited About Data

Combining People, Passion, and Proof to Maximize Student Achievement

Second Edition
By: Edie L. Holcomb

Foreword by Tony Wagner

How can we ensure that every student is making adequate progress in an era of school and district goals, state standards, and federal ESEA legislation?

Building on the best-selling first edition, Holcomb's resource provides additional guidance for educators who are ready to explore more sophisticated uses of data. Precise and on target, this excellent resource enables educators to effectively use their school's data to respond to the challenges of the No Child Left Behind Act, and provides:

A knowledge base emphasizing the role of data in school effectiveness
A focus on tapping the professional passion of dedicated educators
Group activities that energize people in collaborative efforts
Key questions to identify sources of the proof of success necessary to stimulate further action

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9780761939597
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2004
Page Count: 272
Publication date: February 20, 2004

Price: $45.95

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Description

"It was a pleasure reading Getting Excited About Data. I found it precise and on target for enabling school personnel to effectively use their schools' data to plan improvement."
—Theodore Creighton, Executive Director
National Council of Professors of Educational Leadership

"The book is written in friendly language and is a quick read with many examples. The diagrams and sample questions throughout are invaluable!"
—Jill Hudson, Middle School Principal
Madison Middle School, Seattle, WA

How can we ensure that every student is making adequate progress in an era of school and district goals, state standards, and federal ESEA legislation?

Getting Excited About Data, Second Edition builds upon the best-selling first edition to provide additional guidance and support for educators who are "ready, willing, and able" to explore more sophisticated uses of data. New tools and activities facilitate active engagement with data and a collaborative culture of collective responsibility for the learning of all students.

Precise and on target, this excellent new resource enables educators to effectively use their schools' data to respond to the challenges of the No Child Left Behind Act, and provides:

A knowledge base emphasizing the role of data in school effectiveness and successful change
A focus on tapping the professional passion of dedicated educators who want to work for the benefit of students from an intrinsic motivation perspective
Group activities that energize people in collaborative efforts
Key questions to identify sources of the proof of success necessary to stimulate confidence and further action
A clear understanding of the need for "up close, in real time" assessment to balance high-stakes, external tests
Information on how to utilize data to establish priorities and integrate accountability requirements with goals that are data-based and grounded in school values

Author(s)

Edie L. Holcomb

Edie L. Holcomb is executive director of curriculum and instructional services for Kenosha Unified School District No. 1 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She has experienced the challenges of improving student achievement from many perspectives:

From classroom teacher to university professor
From gifted education coordinator to mainstream teacher of children with multiple disabilities
From school- and district-level administration to national and international consulting
From small rural districts to the challenges of urban education

She is highly regarded for her ability to link research and practice on issues related to instructional leadership and school and district change—including standards-based curriculum, instruction, assessment, supervision, and accountability. She has taught at all grade levels, served as a building principal and central office administrator, and assisted districts as an external facilitator for accreditation and implementation of school reform designs. As associate director of the National Center for Effective Schools, she developed a training program for site-based teams and provided technical support for implementation of school improvement efforts throughout the United States and in Canada, Guam, St. Lucia, and Hong Kong. She developed a comprehensive standards-based learning system for the staff and 47,000 students of the Seattle, Washington, city district and has supervised K–12 clusters of schools and evaluated principals.

Her work received the Excellence in Staff Development Award from the Iowa Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development in 1988. In 1990, her study of the needs of beginning principals was recognized by the American Association of School Administrators with the Paul F. Salmon Award for Outstanding Education Leadership Research.

She served as an elected member-at-large on the Leadership Council for ASCD International, played an active role in Washington State’s School Improvement Assistance Program, and contributed to development of the new School System Improvement Resource Guide. Holcomb is the author of four previous books and numerous articles and reviews.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

What This Book Is Not

What This Book Is

How This Book Is Organized

Acknowledgments

About the Author

1. Using Data for Alignment and Achievement

Alignment Between Mission and the School Portfolio

Alignment Between Mission, Portfolio and Concerns

Alignment Between Concerns and Priorities

Alignment Among Priorities, Study, and Strategies

Alignment Between Priorities, Strategies, and Evidence

Alignment Betwee Strategies, Evidence, and Action Plans

Consolidating Multiple and Existing Plans

Using Data for Alignment and Achievement

Two Schools Implement a Major Change

Two A's and Three Powerful P's

Making It Public

On the Road Again

2. Understanding the Importance of Proof

My Data Roots

Data to Close the Achievement Gap

Use of Data Highlighted in National Research Reports

Data Work in High-Performing Schools

Data - Essential, but Not Sufficient

3. Coping With the Barriers to Data Use

Reasons for Reluctance to Use Data

Assessing Data Readiness

Responding to Concerns

4. Engaging the People

Internal and External Engagement

The Cultural Problem

Creating the Culture of Collective Responsibility

Finding Time

Making It Public

5. Arousing the Passion

The Motivation Continuum

Swapping Stories

Language, Humor, and Music

Monitoring Our Mission

6. Starting With the Significant

Data > Test Scores

State and Federal Mandates

The Blue Ribbon Approach

Of Local Significance

No Snapshots, Please

Finding the Starting Point

The Snowball Approach

7. Displaying the Data

Size

User-Friendly Data Displays

Displaying Longitudinal Data

Color Coding Proficiency

The No-Numbers Approach

Displaying Perceptual Data

The Whole Portfolio

Making It Public

The Acid Test

8. Interpreting the Results

Carousel Data Analysis

Listening In

Using the Responses

Making It Public

9. Designing a Data Day

Purpose

Preparation

District Session

School-Based Activities

Follow-Up

Making It Public

10. Establishing Priorities

Getting It Out and Narrowing It Down

Wordsmithing Works

The Ends or the Means

Mandates and Motivation in Goal Setting

11. Drilling Down the Priority Data

Planning Forward With Student-Specific Data

Planning Backward With Skill-Specific Data

Ramping Up the Roster

Slicing the Pie

Attacking Anonymity

Checking Out Perceptions

Making It Public - Not

12. Looking Around and Looking Within

Examining Research

Exploring Best Practice

Probing Our Practice

Capturing Our Culture

13. Clarifying District, School, and Classroom Roles

Going in Circles

Going With the Flow

Cycling in Synch

Delivering the Data

Coordinating the Common

14. Planning Your Work and Working Your Plan

Developing Action Plans

Evidence of Implementation

Evidence of Impact

Reaping Unexpected Benefits

Making It Public

15. Sustaining the Struggle

Analyzing Implementation

Integrating Programs and Practices

Saying No

Celebrating

Spreading a Little Cheer

16. Leading with Relentless Resilience

Review

Relentless Resilience

Reflection

References

Index

Reviews

"It was a pleasure to read Getting Excited About Data. I found it precise and on target for enabling school personnel to effectively use their schools' data to plan improvement."

Theodore Creighton, Executive Director
National Council of Professors of Educational Administration

"The book is written in friendly language and is a quick read with many examples. The diagrams and sample questions throughout are very useful."

Jill Hudson, Principal
Madison Middle School, Seattle, WA

"Holcomb's enlightening revision gives educators a useful, fun-to-read resource full of strategies, tools, and techniques for focusing on data. Presented with tales of real-life experiences, this book gives the reader a ‘ready-to-use’ approach that is refreshingly practical."

Debbie McDonald, Kentucky State Director
Appalachian Education Lab

Other Titles in: Leadership | Data-Driven Decision Making | School Change, Reform, & Restructuring

Available As:

For Instructors

Request Review Copy

When you select 'request review copy', you will be redirected to Sage Publishing (our parent site) to process your request.