Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Analyzing Your Walkthrough Data

By Spring, many building leaders have literally conducted hundreds of H.E.A.T./H.E.A.R.T. walkthroughs of their teachers. Though giving thoughtful and reflective feedback to individual staff members is critical to the process of continuous improvement, one should also consider the benefits of analyzing the aggregate data that has been collected during the year.

In the LoTi Lounge, administrators are able to view a summary of their walkthrough data by first selecting Access Online LoTi Observer Walkthroughs from the Main Menu and then choosing Observation Administration & Reporting. This feature enables you to inspect the aggregate classroom walkthrough results for your entire campus or for individual teachers. The table displays the mode LoTi and CIP score for each teacher or school as well as the number of walkthroughs completed. Selecting the View Charts in the upper right corner lets you view a bar graph of each data set.

A common question asked at this time of year is "Has there been improvement in the LoTi (Levels of Teaching Innovation) and CIP (Current Instructional Practices) scores of my staff?" An easy way to answer this question is by comparing your Fall H.E.A.T./H.E.A.R.T. walkthroughs (September - November) with your Spring H.E.A.T./H.E.A.R.T. walkthroughs (April - June). Clicking on the Time Period (e.g., Jul 01, 2010 - Jun 30, 2011) and changing the dates (e.g., Sep 01, 2010 - Nov 01, 2010) will let you view the LoTi and H.E.A.T. walkthrough data for just that time period. Repeating this procedure for the Spring (e.g., Apr 01, 2011 - Jun 01, 2011) will let you compare the amount of growth in innovative teaching (i.e., LoTi) and current instructional practices (i.e., CIP) over time.

Analyzing Fall/Spring data can give you valuable information for assessing the benefits of your existing staff development program, and where needed, make changes. Research has demonstrated that elevating innovative teaching in the classroom positively impacts student academic progress.