Data-Based Decision Making
Transforming data to meaningful dialogue and aligned actions that impact instruction
We believe that in order to ensure all students achieve, teachers, schools, and districts must systematically and routinely use data within a continuous improvement cycle to guide instructional decisions and meet students’ learning needs.
We begin with three key steps to develop a continuous cycle of improvement, illustrated below:
Collect
No single assessment can provide complete information for teachers to make informed instructional decisions. We assist teams as they collect data from multiple sources and then aggregate the date to show patterns or trends in student achievement.
Interpret
As teams examine the data, we guide them to develop hypotheses about factors that affect students’ learning and ways to improve instruction to help all students achieve. This process often involves slowing down and asking “why?” before arriving at a final hypothesis.
Modify
We work with teachers to implement instructional changes that are likely to raise student achievement, including increasing instructional time, changing grouping options, adjusting instructional materials and modifying instructional delivery.
Conclusion
By implementing these three steps in a cyclical manner, we are able to provide schools and districts the tools and processes they need as they transform the data from self-assessments, instructional walk-throughs, and student assessments to meaningful dialogue and action, facilitating an ongoing instructional improvement cycle that works.
We guide schools as they shift from “data rich but information poor” to using data to tell a meaningful story for improving instruction
We assist schools and districts as they build a culture of data use across and within grade levels and content areas
We believe data analyses are most effective when performed with groups of educators in a realm of collaborative inquiry
We guide educators as they use data to determine areas of need and then help them match high-leverage, research-based instructional strategies that bolster student achievement in these areas
More Side-by-Side Services
We are committed to helping educational administrators and teachers fulfill their goals of student achievement.
Read more by following the links below to learn how Side-by-Side can help your program or school.
Customized Professional Development
Increasing student achievement by improving teacher effectiveness
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On-Site Technical Assistance
Individualized training and support for schools and districts
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Shared Leadership Structures
Improving student outcomes through shared efforts and responsibility
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Instructional Coaching
Research-to-practice techniques for real-world classroom implementation
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Administrative Support
Opening doors for educational administrators to increase student achievement
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Data-Based Decision Making
Research-driven approach to improving student achievement
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Development Services
Working with teachers and administrators to provide training, teaching materials and best practices
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PO Box 1641 • Libby, MT 59923
(800) 585-8304
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