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Best Practices Case Studies
Fox Chapel Area School District Name: Fox Chapel Area School District A small school district committed to individualized instruction, Fox Chapel Area School District is learning data-driven decision making from its own success as well as the success of its neighbors. Since 2003, the district of 4600 students has used data for planning. New data analysis tools and the addition of a data analyst to the administration team promises to put new instructional priorities and strategies in the hands of teachers. About Fox Chapel Area School District Located 8.5 miles from downtown Pittsburgh, Fox Chapel Area School District’s 4600 students come from diverse backgrounds. Students from urban, suburban areas as well as rural farms and coal-mining towns attend four elementary schools, one middle and one high school. The district’s commitment to helping all students succeed required a more data-based approach to curriculum planning and instruction. “We’re trying to hone in on the students who need help in an area and finding targeted ways of addressing them,” said Matt Harris, Principal of Dorseyville Middle School. Data-Driven Decision Making: Starting the Process In 2003, the district created data teams and launched data planning at each school building. Like many districts, they built a data warehouse to collect and store assessment and other types of information. But soon realized that only a few people made use of it. Accessing and analyzing the data was too complicated and time consuming. “A University of Pittsburgh study on teachers’ attitudes toward data showed that they want to use data and understand the importance,” said Norton Gusky, Coordinator of Educational Technology, “but the problem is getting appropriate data for individual instruction.” To effectively use data for differentiated instruction required that data collection and analysis made it easy for teachers to focus on improving instruction for each student. Data-Driven Decision Making: Implementation The district adopted 4Sight, a benchmark tool developed at Johns Hopkins University as part of the Success for All program. With multiple assessments given throughout the year, principals had access to critical data through the 4Sight member center. However, Harris, an assistant principal, realized that the center was too complicated and rather than train teachers to use the site, he pulled the reports and facilitated discussions for teachers. The information proved invaluable in helping teachers work as teams to engage in meaningful discussions. Harris maintains a Moodle site for professional development where he posts reports and teachers connect. “We designed our professional development with the idea that data has to be meaningful, clear and doable,” said Harris. Gusky and his team began meeting with administrators from other districts to share best practices and develop resources jointly. As part of the Quality Classroom Consortium of 20 western Pennsylvania school districts plus the University of Pittsburgh and the Three Rivers Connect social services organization, Gusky learned about North Hill School District’s success with EDInsight, a data repository and analysis tool. After reviewing the tool with his administrators, he asked an elementary school to visit the district and review the tool. Her enthusiasm convinced Gusky and his superintendent that teachers would find the tool helpful and not an added complexity to their work. “It’s fast and easy for me to get the information I need about any student,” said Gusky. The district also hired Alicia Hutchings as Data Research Analyst to begin the data mining process and present the results to teachers and principals through reports and professional development. As Harris put it, “If we get stuck looking at the data, we contact Alicia.” Data-Driven Decision Making: Real Results “Data-driven decision making has changed the whole culture and perspective on how the district uses data,” said Gusky. Teacher cohorts in the middle school use data analysis of the 4Sight benchmarks to identify students who have a weakness in “anchors”, core standards required for development. Through item analysis, they identify the skills required to achieve the anchors and then build lessons for small groups of students or individuals. During the 2006-2007 school year, every high school junior was tested to predict success on the end of the year state exam. Their teachers created a profile for each student with a plan for tutoring, teacher-driven coaching and online practice based on their proficiencies. Hutchings is looking forward to the results of the state exams due out in July 2007. The culture of the school has changed from a focus on classes to small groups and individualized instruction with deep conversations among educators. At a typical middle school planning meeting teachers review the results of students who performed poorly on an anchor to find the root cause. Harris facilitates the conversation and helps with reporting and analysis. He said: “That rich conversation is really rewarding. The team collaboratively comes up with an approach. That’s magic.”
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