Troubleshooting
What if we don’t have enough time for data talks?
- Reduce staff meetings to a minimum by utilizing email when necessary. Replace these meetings with co-current data team meetings lead by in-house leaders.
- Hire a floating sub to cover a block of time right after a grade level’s prep time. This will provide a “double prep” for each grade level to meet in teams.
- Utilizing one weekly planning time for grade level conversations.
What if our staff members do not follow through with commitments?
- Designate a “next steps” color and have team members clearly identify their next steps by highlighting their notes in that specific color.
- Provide a space on the agenda for members to note their next steps.
Our data teams go so quickly! We never seem to get past behavior concerns to talk about interventions and data.
- Consider splitting behavior concerns and academic concerns into separate meetings.
- Set goals for the meeting in advanced. Establish a time to discuss each item in the agenda.
- The timekeeper prompts when time is up…”Should we continue this conversation and move something to next time, or would you like to table it and move on with our agenda”
- Start a T-Chart with post-its listing things that are “in our control” and “out of our control.”
- Acknowledge hang-ups but guide the conversation to lead to action steps within our sphere of influence.
- Use an online template (e.g. GoogleDrive) and have teachers fill in their concerns, updates, and interventions before the meeting to streamline the process.
- Switch from a “put out the fires” mindset to a growth mindset. How will we know our instruction is working if we never look at data?