Data Intersections
To support the practice of using data intersections to zoom in on the possible routes a school could go to improve.
Two way Intersections: An example
Demographics by Student Learning
1st: Review your demographics data and possible implications. Which subgroups were considered in this set of data? Was there one group that stood out in your data? Choose that group.
2nd: Review your student learning data and possible implications.
THEN…
3rd: Look over your student learning data with the group you chose. What do you notice? What are your questions?
1st: 60% of Hispanic students also identified as ELL.
2nd: Using 2 years of Iowa Assessments, the data indicated that grade 5 students showed higher growth in the previous year than when comparing the same students growth in grade 6.
3rd: When looking at the ELL growth over the two years of Iowa Assessments, there was a similar drop. When looking at the assessments of students who identified as Hispanic and not ELL the drop in 6th grade was more significant than it was for the student subgroup identified as ELL. What do the students subgroups of ELL and Hispanic but not ELL have differently in 5th grade than in 6th grade?
Three Way Intersections:
Demographics by Student Learning by School Processes
1st: Review specific program/processes data you collected.
2nd: Review the program data by the subgroup you chose. What questions do you have? What do you notice?
3rd: Review the program data and the student learning data. How do they compare? What do you notice? What questions do you have?
Example of Three Way Intersections
1st: In 5th grade all ELL students are provided integrated content instruction for science and social studies with ELL paraeducators/teachers within the classroom to support students and the classroom educator. In 6th grade, ELL students receive services in a pull-out model.
2nd: ELL students receive a push-in instructional program model for ELL services in 5th grade. Hispanic but not ELL students are in the same classroom in 5th grade. They do not receive direct instruction from the ELL service provider. ELL students receive a pull-out instructional program model for ELL services in 6th grade. Hispanic but not ELL students do not receive any support services in 6th grade.
3rd: Iowa Assessment data for Science shows higher growth gains with the ELL and Hispanic subgroups in 5th grade than in 6th grade. There was little difference between the ELL and Hispanic gains in 5th grade. There was even less gain from the Hispanic but not ELL subgroup in the 6th grade compared to the ELL subgroup. How are the Hispanic but not ELL students being supported in 5th grade, but not in 6th grade? What were the instructional differences between the integrated class in 5th grade and the core 6th grade content specific classes?
Four-Way Intersections
1st: Review the Perceptions data you collected.
2nd: Review the perceptions by the subgroup you chose. What do you notice? What questions do you have?
3rd: Review the perceptions by the program data. What do you notice? What questions do you have?
4th: Review the perceptions data by the student achievement data. What do you notice? What questions do you have?
5th: Develop a question or set of questions that encompasses all of the ideas you developed in the first four steps.
Example of Four-Way Intersection
1st: Staff surveys of confidence in student learning, school programs, and parent involvement were collected for two years. Staff in Year 1 perceived student learning to be high. Staff believed there to be an achievement gap in the sub-groups. Staff believed the interventions and programs were helping students achieve at a faster rate. Staff believed parent involvement could be improved. Year 2, the only major change was that the staff perceived student learning to be medium high.
2nd: Year 1 & 2 Staff perceived ELL students to learn at the same rate as non-ELL students. Year 1 & 2 Staff perceived ELL students to need in-class supports. Year 1 & 2 Staff perceived Hispanic but not ELL students to learn at the same rate as all non-ELL students.
3rd: Year 1 & 2 Staff perceived the ELL programming to be important to ELL student learning.
4th: Staff perceptions of student achievement matched the Iowa Assessment data. Staff have a good awareness of student achievement, however are limited in their understanding of specific sub-group achievement.
5th: What are the in-class supports that staff perceived ELL students to need that could benefit all students including Hispanic but not ELL? What data do staff need to review to better understand achievement within sub-groups?
Questions to Consider
Questions developed from the intersections that will guide your analyzing and processing of data.