Activity Directions: Processes for Analyzing and Responding to Data

Purpose

Review various protocols for analyzing and responding to data and select a protocol to meet the team’s needs.

Time

60 minutes or more 

Preparation

1. Schedule the leadership team to participate in this activity. 
2. Review the following processes and select one for the team’s decision-making needs or questions. 

Processes for analyzing and responding to data

Option 1

Use this data analysis protocol adapted from Washington state’s District and School Data Team Toolkit. It guides teams through 3 steps:

1. Observations: Make observations about the data. 
2. Reflect and Make Inferences: Ask participants to reflect upon the observations that have been made and make inferences. 
3. Questions/Conclusions: Ask clarifying questions or draw tentative conclusions 

Option 2

Use this Data Driven Dialogue Protocol (download from this link) from the School Reform Initiative. It guides teams through 4 phases: 

1. Phase I, Predictions: Surfacing perspectives, beliefs, assumptions, predictions, possibilities, questions, and expectations.
2. Phase II, Go Visual: Re-create the data visually.
3. Phase III, Observations: Analyzing the data for patterns, trends, surprises, and new questions that “jump” out.
4. Phase IV, Inferences: Generating hypotheses, inferring, explaining, and drawing conclusions. Defining new actions and interactions and the data needed to guide their implementation. Building ownership for decisions.

Option 3

1. When analyzing data and action planning here are seven questions to guide your decision making process (AI Hub): 
   1. What does “it” look like now? 
   2. Are we satisfied with how “it” looks? 
   3. What would we like “it” to look like? 
   4. What would we need to do to make “it” look like that? 
   5. How would we know if we’ve been successful with “it”? 
   6. What can we do to keep “it” like that? 
   7. What can we do to make “it” more efficient & durable? 
2. Capture decisions made through this process as action plan items, be sure to articulate steps that ensure the changes will be implemented successfully. 

Option 4

Use the Handout: ORID Protocol to analyze and respond to data. The acronym "ORID" is derived from the first letters of the four stages of questioning:

• Objective
• Reflective
• Interpretative
• Decision

Sources:

The Active Implementation Hub, Handout 28: Decision Support Data System, retrieved 8/9/19 from https://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/sites/nirn.fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/AIHub-Handout28-DriversEd-DSDS.pdf

Geier, R., Smith, S., (2012). District and School Data Team Toolkit. Everett, WA: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington School Information Processing Cooperative, and Public Consulting Group. pg. 155. 

School Reform Initiative. Data Driven Dialogue Protocol. Retrieved 8/21/19 from https://www.schoolreforminitiative.org/download/data-driven-dialogue/.