The Data-Driven
Department
David Thomas
Westminster Academy
Word association…
Word association…
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Stress
Time consuming
Confusing
Waste of time
Distraction
A different beast?
• “After spending ten years observing schools, I am convinced
that data-driven instruction is the single most effective use of
a school leader’s time”
Paul Bambrick-Santoyo, Uncommon Schools
We got assessment wrong
• Levels were:
– Summative used formatively
– Disincentives for deeper thinking
– Incomprehensible to most people
• But most importantly…
We got assessment wrong
• Levels were:
– Summative used formatively
– Disincentives for deeper thinking
– Incomprehensible to most people
• But most importantly…
– You couldn’t act on them
A better system
Fit for purpose
• Our proposal:
– Granular assessment
– Percentage scores
– Frequent, low-stakes assessment
– Culture of using data to drive teaching and learning
A Data-Driven cycle
Plan the
curriculum
Do it again
Set the
rigour
Act on it
Do the
assessment
Analyse it
1. Plan the curriculum
• Map over five/seven years
• Set unambiguous objectives
• Make sure you space and interleave concepts
2. Set the rigour
• Curriculum leads assessment, but assessment defines the
curriculum
• Good formative assessments:
– Set clear expectations of difficulty
– Connect the curriculum you want to the exams you need
to prepare for
– Are public to all teachers
2. Set the rigour
3. Do the assessment
• When it’s right. Learning should dictate timing, not the school
calendar
• Assessments should be:
– Frequent
– Short
– Marked within 24 hours
– Tracked diligently
4. Analyse it
• Looking for:
– Performance
– Trends
• At different levels:
– Cohort
– Class
– Student
• Talk about horizontal and vertical analysis
4. Analyse it
• This is the top
priority task
• It needs:
– Dedicated time
– Peer-challenge
– Action planning
5. Act on it
• Re-teaching, not revision
• Why didn’t students learn?
– Not encountered concept in enough ways/at enough times
(Nuthall)
– New concept not settled (liminal state)
– No storage strength built (Bjork)
– Objectives not covered properly
– Disruption/distraction
– Complete mystery!
• What does good re-teaching look like?
5. Act on it
• Review meeting
• In pairs. Person A is
Mr Smith, Person B is
HoD
• Mr Smith thinks his
job is to teach
lessons, and students
have to make sure
they learn from them
• Reach an effective
action plan for this
class
6. Do it again
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You MUST re-assess
How else do you know the re-teaching worked?
How else do students know it’s important?
Great way to capitalise on spacing and testing effects to boost
storage strength
Testing effect
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What are the six steps in the data-driven cycle?
Over what time period should you map the curriculum?
Why should assessments be public?
Write down two ways to act on assessment.
Which step is going to be hardest in your school and why?
A Data-Driven cycle
Plan the
curriculum
Do it again
Set the
rigour
Act on it
Do the
assessment
Analyse it
Common mistakes?
Common mistakes
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Combining formative and summative assessment
Secret assessments
Calendar rules
Slow marking
No time for analysis and planning
Acting on it badly (revision lessons)
Not doing it again
Act on Assessment
• We’ve designed a software package for tracking, storing and
analysing the results of granular assessment
• The first release is available free thanks to the DfE’s
Assessment Innovation Fund, and comes out soon
• Makes tracking and analysis happen:
– At a whole school or departmental level
– In as few clicks as possible
– Stored securely and robustly through time
Questions?
• davidthomas@westminsteracademy.biz
• @dmthomas90