CASTLE offers a number of data-driven decision-making (DDDM) resources for K-12 educators.

  • Data-driven teachers. (2005). A highly-acclaimed, practitioner-oriented framework for thinking about DDDM in elementary and secondary schools. This white paper presents a model of the five key activities of data-driven practice (good baseline data, measurable instructional goals, frequent formative assessment, professional learning communities rooted in student information, making instructional changes) and four support structures necessary for effective DDDM (data transparency, data safety, technology, alignment for results). Sponsored by Microsoft.
  • Technology tools for data-driven teachers. (2005). An overview of the various technology options for collecting and analyzing summative and formative data. Focuses on data warehouses and instructional management and assessment systems. Highlights how relational databases and spreadsheets also can be used for powerful data analysis. Sponsored by Microsoft.
  • School data tutorials. Even when principals and teachers have access to data, they often are not sure what to do with it. This web site is intended to help K-12 educators work with raw student and school data. The tutorials on the site highlight many of the Excel skills that are helpful when working with building– and district-level data. These tutorials are targeted at data managers, principals, guidance counselors, teachers, and other school personnel who have the responsibility for collecting, analyzing, and reporting K-12 performance data. These free tutorials are empowering educators and Educational Leadership graduate students across the country!
  • DDDM podcasts. A series of presentations and conversations about data-driven decision-making in K-12 schools.
  • DDDM surveys. A set of aligned surveys designed to gather information about data-driven best practices and educator beliefs. Separate surveys for teachers, principals, superintendents, and district technology coordinators.
  • DDDM coursework.

Works in Progress

We also have several works in progress, including

  • School data presentations. A collection of online streaming presentations designed to help educators improve their data driven instructional and organizational practices. A helpful resource for staff development and training, these presentations describe in further detail the framework outlined in the Data-Driven Teachers white paper.
  • school data templates, a set of pre-made, interactive Excel templates that enable disaggregated analysis and facilitation of teachers’ ongoing monitoring of student progress;
  • a pyramid of interventions packet designed to help teacher teams walk through the steps of identifying essential skills and knowledge, formative assessments, teaching resources, and tiered instructional interventions; and
  • the Chicago Data Competencies, a professional development framework for data-driven school improvement designed in conjunction with the Chicago (IL) Public Schools.

Please contact us for further information about any of these upcoming resources.