Learning Analytics Collaborative

“And then she went to the porridge of the Little Wee Bear, and tasted it, and that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and she liked it so well that she ate it all up, every bit!” — Goldilocks and the Three Bears    For many of us, the sun is shining and we are in the mad dash of wrapping things up before escaping for a well deserved summer. I suspect it would be an easy task if wrapping up was all we had to do, but of course it’s never that simple in a school. We don’t just pack up our class, we need to hand them over to next year’s division and teachers, and get ready to receive our next batch. The data handover is enormous, and figuring out the what and how requires a “Goldilocks” attitude - we’ve got to get it just right. Quantity: Sharing enough to inform, but not so much that it will overwhelm next year’s teachers.  Ingredients: Not sharing just numbers, but also anecdotal records and holistic data that will help teachers know students better and so...

  “It’s important to remember that behind every data point is a daughter, a mother, a sister – a person with hopes and dreams.” — Melinda French Gates Image and wordcloud from ncec.catholic.edu.au I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to visit a number of schools over the past few weeks, and see first-hand how teachers are making countless decisions every day to personalize learning. It strikes me that one of the positives to come from our years of lockdowns is a deeper understanding that context matters, and a willingness to find out more about the unique context that our students bring with them to our classrooms each day.  One aspect of context that I am interested in learning more about is “hopes and dreams”: What do our students wish for their future and how does that impact their learning in the present? How might your grade 10 geography lesson plans change if you knew what career your students were aspiring to? How would you group students in PHE class if you knew eac...

In my work with schools, I’m always on the look out for a school’s data champions: the early adopters of a culture where data is valued and is used to improve schools and student outcomes. Data champions help colleagues understand how to find, interpret, and use data effectively. They are also translators, able to turn complex findings into clear and actionable insights.  Image by  Mohamed Hassan  form  PxHere  - CC0 Public Domain We often go looking for data champions in the IT office, or failing that, in the math department, but the truth is that data champions are hiding in plain sight everywhere; anyone who believes in using data to inform choices, and who can convince others of the value of data, has the potential to become a champion.  So how do we find and grow these “sleeping champions”? Jim Collins share strategies for building “enduring greatness by cultivating a talent pipeline”. In a data context, this could include: Modeling data-driven d...

In the dynamic realm of education, international schools are increasingly leveraging data analytics not only to optimize academic outcomes but also to enhance the social-emotional wellbeing of their students. The integration of data analytics into educational frameworks enables institutions to glean insights that extend beyond traditional academic performance, fostering a holistic approach to student development. One of the pivotal aspects of data analytics in international schools is its application in the analysis of social-emotional wellbeing data. By examining factors such as student engagement, behavioral patterns, and emotional states, schools can gain a deeper understanding of the non-academic aspects of student life. This information is instrumental in tailoring support mechanisms to address the unique socio-emotional needs of each student, ultimately contributing to a more nurturing and inclusive learning environment. Data analytics proves particularly beneficial in identifyin...

Conducting online surveys for school students presents a unique set of challenges and considerations compared to surveys targeted at adults or other populations. To ensure that the survey process is effective, ethical, and respectful of the students' needs and privacy, it's important to follow best practices specifically tailored to this demographic: 1. Obtain Informed Consent:    Prior to conducting any survey with school students, it's essential to obtain informed consent. Seek permission from both the students and their parents or guardians, explaining the purpose of the survey, how the data will be used, and any potential risks or benefits. 2. Age-Appropriate Language:    Use age-appropriate language and phrasing in your survey questions. Ensure that the questions are clear, concise, and easy to understand for the specific age group you are targeting. 3. Ensure Anonymity and Confidentiality:    Emphasize the anonymity and confidentiality ...

  “Around 15 percent of the world’s population, or estimated 1 billion people, live with disabilities. They are the world’s largest minority.” - United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs I came across this article from Branching Minds about the connection between MTSS and SPED. It really shines a light on the definitions and explains similarities and differences between MTSS and Special Education.  Special education and MTSS both provide support for students within the classroom. But MTSS and special education (SPED) are not the same things. Both are rooted in the foundation of creating an equitable learning environment for all learners. However, MTSS is a system of support for all students.  Special education is an extensive framework of resources, laws, specialized services, and staff designed to support the education of millions of students identified with a qualifying disability. MTSS provides support to all students in academic, behavioral, and socia...

‘The Future is here’ - that’s how Beth McMurtrie, Senior Writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education, starts her article. AI has been around for a while but It’s only been two months since OpenAI made ChatGPT available to the public. Even celebrities are now checking it out. This is the most recent video posted by Ryan Reynolds, showing how he used it for his ad campaign. Its ability to understand requests and reply in clear, well-organized prose that reads like it was written by a human already makes its introduction feel like an epoch-shifting moment for the tech industry, if not humanity itself.  That is also very true for educators, with students having a full, unlimited access to this technology and using it to write essays, writing assignments etc. It’s a clear disruption of the reality we have inherited and it’s not going away. Yes, at present it’s still in its early stages, what you get back after you prompt the AI is mostly coherent but maybe not captivating, and it stil...

This is a great resource from Learning Sciences Internationa l for anyone overseeing assessment in schools on what the future may hold for assessment practices. It’s composed of both the white paper as well as webinar replay of the press conference they’ve held. Learning Sciences International® (LSI) empowers schools and districts to transform core instruction and leadership practices, resulting in rapid gains in student learning. LSI empowers each student and educator to meet the new challenges of a new economy (in which today’s students and educators must prepare for a future in which new jobs, skills, functions, and disciplines are necessary) by transforming traditional core instruction and leadership practices with research-based, results-driven strategies, products, and services. This white paper describes the components of an ideal comprehensive, balanced assessment system that includes classroom formative assessment (within and between lessons), medium-cycle formative assessm...

In this article from TES magazine by Olli-Pekka Heinonen, the Director-General of the International Baccalaureate, explains why he is pushing the organization to review how its courses impact children’s wellbeing to see if adaptations are needed. Wellbeing has become a focal point in the educational world for the past few years and rightfully so! SEL and Wellbeing has to become a new norm for schools around the world. Same applies to collecting data on the above and gaining invaluable insight to measure the impact and support the students. The Director-General believes that wellbeing matters more than ever, emphasizing that wellbeing does not have to be in conflict with the rigor of a programme. They are aims that can be met simultaneously. That last point shows IB’s commitment to this agenda. He outlines that the two priorities for IB going forward will be to focus on the flexibility of teaching and assessment, but most importantly, depressurise schooling: to think about the whole stu...

I came across this great article on Edutopia by Nathan Barber on Adding the Grit Scale to School Data . This piece is showing how one school is investigating the possibility of measuring and teaching its students grit by adding Angela Duckworth's 12-item grit scale to the standard assessments. Schools already use a lot of data - from ERB scores and PSAT, ACT, and SAT information to AP exam results - to help shape and focus instruction each year. However, this data provides a glimpse into a few facets of students who are complex young men and women. Nathan is telling their story of how along with the leadership team, he began a search for a way to collect a different kind of data on their students, both current and incoming, that would help to understand them a little better, and would better equip them to put their students in a position to be successful. They decided to explore ways that Duckworth's research on grit, including her grit measurement scale, might help better serv...

I came across this great article on Edutopia by Victoria Curry and Mike Setaro on how school leaders can combine traditional data with social and emotional data to get a full picture of the school experience of students and staff. It’s centered around Warm data that gives both dimension and measure to an individual’s and group’s social and emotional status. Opposite to Cool data points, that are a series of structural data sets such as enrollment, attendance, and academic proficiency that typically are the bedrock of school-based analytics. They talk about various examples of Warm data points among them on a matrix with different degrees of pleasantness and energy before engaging in learning (inspired by Mark Brackett’s work). These points can and should be captured, measured and visualized. The insights from this data should be of utmost importance for leaders to find strategies that capture and leverage information related to SEL and interpersonal skills. Harnessing this level of und...

Please read this great article and associated paper from The Quaglia Institute for School Voice and Aspirations (QISVA) that focuses on Voice and Aspirations for our students. It introduces the 8 Conditions that make a difference and help educators ensure that the work they are already doing fosters an environment characterized by positive relationships, engaged learning, and a sense of purpose. Those eight conditions are organized into 3 guiding principles, Self Worth, Engagement and Purpose that should be lived out in the classrooms and schools. It’s a very neat and effective way of ensuring that our focus is not only on academia and helps to nurture the whole student environment. In an era of educational policy that changes almost daily, schools must be grounded in a set of principles that are solidly based on research and that provide a practical, common sense approach to professional growth and learning. As they state: “When students and teachers have high aspirations, they have...

I came across this great article from Branching Minds on how to describe MTSS and Tiers of Support to families and communities. MTSS has become very popular among international schools over the last few years and it is now widely applied. However, the level of understanding among families and communities is limited. As Brittany Shurley, the author of the article, writes: “MTSS, and all the jargon that goes with it, is very specialized. Over the years, I have heard from families that they feel discouraged or left out of meetings because they are unclear what is happening to their child or what their child needs. To ensure that all parties understand our process, it’s essential to communicate what MTSS is with our parents/guardians (families) and communities regarding their child.” In the very comprehensive entry, she describes many aspects of MTSS and how to explain it, from what is a Multi-Tiered System of Supports and what exactly does the acronym “MTSS” mean, through the need of sha...

Please read this fascinating article posted on Edutopia ; U nderstanding how people learn and reliably commit things to memory is what prompted psychology professor Mirjam Ebersbach and her colleagues at the University of Kassel to study how students prepare for an exam, and what strategies yielded the optimal improvements in student learning. Learn how asking students to create their own questions has a powerful impact on learning. “Question generation promotes a deeper elaboration of the learning content,” Ebersbach told Edutopia. “One has to reflect what one has learned and how an appropriate knowledge question can be inferred from this knowledge.” Plus, 5 tips to encourage high-quality questions and ideas to incorporate student-generated questions into your classroom. I especially love the idea of playing Jeopardy with students! To create the game, specialized software isn’t even necessary: The researchers in the study used the wiki feature in the class’s learning management syste...