The data that school administrators collect is great however, they often end up storing them – literally. The need for accountability and assessment is forcing schools to pull data out of the drawers and onto the table. Some are taking this one step further by establishing school data rooms, where teachers can view student information in an organized and accessible way.
At Gilliard Elementary School in Mobile, Alabama, color-coded sticky notes line the walls of a room called “the data room.” The notes show teachers where their students are on math and reading standards and also record their discipline and attendance records.
The aim is to help teachers recognize and address students’ needs before they become out of control. If a child isn’t meeting his or his goals in reading, the teacher can offer extra instruction or work with them outside of school. If a child has problems with their behavior, the teacher may refer them to counseling or even consider taking that student from class.
Baker’s strategy is to have teachers praise their students’ progress by putting data at the forefront. In the spring of last year an unemployed student proudly announced that he had accomplished his goal of reading.
Make sure you follow FERPA guidelines and safeguard your students’ privacy before making the switch to a data room. This is especially true when it comes to displaying data in the classroom where sensitive information such as counseling sessions and disciplinary action could be shared accidentally.