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Examining Data for the School Plan

SPCs are required to develop school plans with clearly stated goals for improving student achievement in the school.

To develop and monitor school goals, SPCs must examine data on student achievement from many sources. Data reveal patterns in student performance, participation, satisfaction, and many other things related to learning, and indicate where changes in practice can or should be made.

It is important to reflect carefully on the data, their sources, and what they mean. Conclusions about data may change on close examination of the circumstances in which the data were collected. Questions to ask are

• Why are the results this way?
• What do the results really mean?

Types and Sources of Data

Click below for Types and Sources of Data for School Planning Councils:

In printable (PDF) format

Tips for Understanding Data

Adapted from Data and the District Review: Parent Information Workshop. Ministry of Education District Review Training, Richmond, January 14, 2004

Together, we create the meaning

• Data is information that can tell a story.
• We are looking for patterns.
• We need several sources of data.
• Through thoughtful discussion with others, we will understand the data better and avoid premature conclusions.

Tips for looking at data

• Keep in mind that all tests have limitations.
• Look for patterns and trends over time. (You need three sets of data to predict a trend.)
• Check participation rates. Use actual numbers as well as percentages.
• Check the data for sub-populations (for example, gender, Aboriginal, ESL).
• Compare data from different sources and different levels (e.g. classroom, school, district, and province).
• Ask questions and consider alternate hypotheses.
• Plan for improvement based on data.

Questions to ask when looking at data

• What important points seem to emerge?
• Do you notice any patterns or trends?
• Based on this data, what appear to be the strengths of the school?
• Based on this data, what goals might be included in a school plan?
• What is missing?

The purpose of data is to IMPROVE, not to prove!

• We look at data to improve schools, not to prove that some schools are better than others.
• Evidence is important—we want improvement to be measurable. We need to base decisions on something more than what we think or feel.

Try this exercise to start the conversation…

• Think of something you enjoy doing—a hobby, sport, skill, or talent.
• Ask yourself, how good are you?
• Were you always that good?
• Are you improving? How do you know?
• How good do you want to be? By when?
• How will you know you are getting better?