Session 1 Facilitator’s Guide:
Making Sense of Classroom Data:
“Trackers” and The Atlas Protocol
Sequence of Sessions
Targets for this Session:
1. I can examine data effectively.
2. I can make data-based decisions regarding students’ achievement of specific writing standards.
High-Level Purpose of this Session
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In this opening session, participants will experience the ATLAS Protocol as they examine a classroom data set. Through this
case study, participants will learn a method for determining “priority standards” and implications for curriculum, instruction,
and assessment of the teaching and learning for the upcoming year.
Related Learning Experiences

This NTI is focused on discovering next steps from data, learning more about the standards, and developing “focused” or
supplemental standards-based lessons based on students’ writing development needs as suggested by data. This opening
session is the foundation for the sessions that are to follow at this NTI.
Key Points
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Protocols support effective conversations about data.
Teachers can create simple systems for tracking students’ progress and making instructional decisions.
The point of analyzing data is to uncover implications for curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Session Outcomes
What do we want participants to be able to do as a result of
this session?
1. I can examine data effectively.
2. I can make data-based decisions regarding
students’ achievement of specific writing standards.
How will we know that they are able to do this?
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Observation of observations, interpretations, and
implications posted on chart paper.
Groups’ responses to observations, interpretations, and
implications.
Session Overview
Section
1. Greetings and
Group
Grounding
Time
20
Overview
●
minutes
●
Review overall purpose
for NTI, EL’s approach to
PD, learning targets,
journal.
Participants form triads
and tell 3-2-1 stories.
Prepared Resources
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Journals
Facilitator’s Guide
PPT
Norms for Collaboration
Facilitator Preparation

Be sure you understand
the flow of the entire
NTI. Be ready to
connect this session to
ones that follow.
2. Atlas Protocol
60

Introduce participants to
Norms for Collaboration
as means of reflecting on
what they just did.

Participants’ use the
Atlas Protocol to examine
either elementary or
middle level data set.
Participants share
findings.
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Atlas Protocol
Classroom “trackers.”
Chart Paper
Markers

Review or complete
protocol using data set.
Examine own findings in
order to anticipate
group’s response.
Participants reflect on
power of the protocol.
Participants reflect on
how the Atlas Protocol
might be used back at
their school(s).

Journals in Participant’s
Notebooks

Familiarize yourself with
location of all materials.
minutes

3. Synthesis
10
●
minutes
●
Session Roadmap
Section 1: Greetings and Group Grounding
Time: 9:30 to 9:50
Materials:
Participant’s Notebooks
PPT
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Script/ Activity directions
Slide
1 minutes
PPT. Slide #1, #2
●
Introduce yourself (and perhaps your facilitation partner) and tell Small groups at tables
a bit of background. If relevant, share your experience with
school change. NOTE TIME HERE – BE BRIEF.
5 minutes
PPT. Slide #3, #4
●
Introduce EL’s approach to PD, the learning targets for the NTI,
and focus for the entire NTI; highlight the target for this
particular session.
7 minutes
PPT. Slide #5
●
Ask participants to form triads at tables. Encourage them to tell
their triads “3-2-1 Stories” – 3: Things about teaching students
to write well that challenge you. 2: Successes that you’ve had.
1: Way you’ve helped students understand and do something
about specific issues in their writing.
●
1 minute to prep then 2 minutes per participant.
●
Introduce the Norms for Collaboration. Discuss briefly how
norms enrich protocols and ensure that conversations maintain
a professional and collegial tone while digging deeply into
challenging issues.
Ask participants to rate themselves on the Norms Inventory
based on how they just interacted in the 3-2-1 Stories
Throughout the institute they will be asked to participate in these
types of collaborative activities. Ask them to reflect on areas
where they can improve their habits.
5 minutes
PPT. Slide #6
●
●
GROUPING
Section 2: Using the Atlas Protocol
Time: 9:50 to 10:50
Materials:
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Atlas Protocol
Sample Classroom Trackers
Chart Paper
Markers
Time
Slide #/ Pic of
Slide
Script/ Activity directions
5 mins
PPT Slide #6

Show participants how teachers can create simple
trackers by analyzing the standards in their Unit Plans.
5 mins
PPT. Slide #7

Direct participants to this quote from the Atlas Protocol in
their Participant’s Notebooks.
“A structured dialogue format is a way of organizing a
group conversation by clearly defining who should be
talking when and about what. While at first it may seem
rigid and artificial, a clearly defined structure frees the
group to focus its attention on what is most important. In
general, structured dialogue formats allot specified times
for the group to discuss various aspects of the work.”
Let them know that in this session they will practice using
a protocol for examining data. Hopefully this protocol is
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GROUPING
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5 mins
PPT. Slide #8
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40
PPT. Slide #9
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something they can use back in their school(s).
Ask participants to skim the rest of the Atlas Protocol for
“gist.” What are the specific parts of the protocol? What
roles do different participants’ take? How long should the
entire protocol take?
Ask participants to divide their tables in half to work in
groups of 5. Encourage them to move their chairs so
groups are seated facing each other. Ok to move away
from tables to form clusters around the room.
Each group should have a piece of chart paper and a
marker or two. Divide the chart paper into 3 columns –
“Observations,” “Interpretations,” “Implications.”
Each group should select a facilitator, timekeeper, and
recorder.
Direct participants to either the elementary or secondary
data sets in their Participant’s Notebooks. Let participants
know that although this is a fictional data set, it represents
the overall achievement of a real school district:
o Rural
o 55% free and reduced lunch
o 13% special education
o 6% ELLs
Ask participants to spend 5 minutes silently reading the
data.
Tell participants they are going to begin at the Describing
the Data (Observations) section of the protocol, but before
they start, you are going to clarify the difference between
an observation of data and a judgment from data.
Observation: The first school’s performance
exceeds the second school’s performance on 80%
of the items.
o Judgment: The first school’s teachers are more
aligned to the Common Core.
Remind groups that facilitators and timekeepers will be
essential to the success of this experience.
Start the protocol (10 minutes):
o The facilitator asks: “What do you see?”
o During this period the group gathers as much
information as possible from the data.
o Group members describe what they see in data,
avoiding judgments about quality or
interpretations. It is helpful to identify where the
observation is being made—e.g., “On page one in
the second column, third row . . . “
o If judgments or interpretations do arise, the
facilitator should ask the person to describe the
evidence on which they are based.
o It may be useful to list the group’s observations on
chart paper. If interpretations come up, they can be
listed in another column for later discussion during
Step 3.
Note: The session facilitator should also keep time and
stop the groups after 10 minutes. Ask participants to
report out 2-3 observations. Clarify the difference
between observations and judgments if needed.
Restart the protocol at “Interpreting the Data” (10
minutes).
o The facilitator asks: “What does the data suggest?”
Second question: “What are the assumptions we
o
PPT. Slide #10
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PPT. Slide #11
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make about students and their learning?”
During this period, the group tries to make sense of
what the data says and why. The group should try
to find as many different interpretations as possible
and evaluate them against the kind and quality of
evidence.
o From the evidence gathered in the preceding
section, try to infer: what is being worked on and
why?
o Think broadly and creatively. Assume that the
data, no matter how confusing, makes sense to
some people; your job is to see what they may
see.
o As you listen to each other’s interpretations, ask
questions that help you better understand each
other’s perspectives.
Note: The session facilitator should also keep time and
stop the groups after 10 minutes. Ask participants to
report out 2-3 interpretations.
Restart the protocol at “Implications for Curriculum,
Instruction, and Assessment” (10 minutes).
• The facilitator asks: “What are the implications of this
work for curriculum, instruction and assessment?”
• Based on the group’s observations and interpretations,
discuss any implications this work might have for
curriculum design, instruction and/or assessment in
the classroom. In particular, consider the following
questions:
— What steps could be taken next?
— What strategies might be most effective?
— What else would you like to see happen? What
kinds of assignments or assessments could provide
o
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PPT. Slide #12
this information?
— What does this conversation make you think about
in terms of the curriculum you have in use? About
teaching and learning in general?
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Note: The session facilitator should also keep time and
stop the groups after 10 minutes. Ask participants to
report out 2-3 implications.
If it does not come out in implications, ensure that
participants realize that students most need support
with specific subsets of the writing standards.
Implication is that something is amiss with curriculum,
instruction, or assessment of that Standard. Addressing
that concern will be the focus on the next several sessions
of the NTI.
Section 3: Reflection and Closing
Time: 10:50 to 11 am
Materials:
Atlas Protocol
Journal in Participant’s Notebook
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide Script/ Activity directions
GROUPING
3 minutes
PPT. Slide #13
Partners
Ask participants to discuss one or two of the following to start to bring
the Atlas Protocol to a close:
• What did you learn from listening to your colleagues that was
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•
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interesting or surprising?
What new perspectives did your colleagues provide?
How can you make use of your colleagues’ perspectives?
What questions about teaching and assessment did looking at
the data raise for you? How can you pursue these questions
further?
3 minutes
PPT. Slide #14
Ask participants to briefly reflect on the Atlas Protocol as a process they
might replicate in their work away from NTI.
• How are you collecting or helping teachers collect similar data?
• What are the implications of having or not having this level of
data in terms of Common Core implementation?
• On module implementation?
• Other “ahas” about classroom data and student achievement?
4 minutes
PPT. Slide #15
Ask participants to locate the journal page for Session 1 in their
Participant’s Notebook. Here they can capture their thinking related to
this session or reflect on their achievement of the Learning Targets.
There is a 15 minute break before the next session.