The Power of Process: How Process Data Drives Meaningful School Change

Outline

Introduction and Overview (5 minutes)

Content:
*Introduction to the concept of process data and its importance in school improvement planning.
*Brief explanation of key terms and concepts, including what constitutes process data.
*Goals of the session and what participants will achieve.

Engagement:
*Inclusion activity to gauge participant familiarity with process data.
*Icebreaker: "What process data looks like in my school" — participants will share examples of process data they’ve encountered in their work via a quick chat discussion.

Understanding Process Data (20 minutes)

Content:
*Detailed explanation of how process data differs from outcome data (e.g., test scores, attendance rates).
*Review of Practice-Focused Collaboration article.
*Exploration of tools and methods for gathering and analyzing process data.

Engagement:
Peer-to-peer interaction: Participants will engage in small-group discussions to reflect on how process data could apply to their specific school contexts.
Article review group activity: Participants will be divided into small groups and given a section of the article to reflect and report on.

Applying Process Data to Needs Assessments (20 minutes)

Content:
*Step-by-step walkthrough of incorporating process data into the needs assessment process.
How to align process data with broader school improvement goals, including examples of metrics and frameworks.
*Explanation of the connection between process-focused collaboration and sustainable school improvement.
*Examples of schools that have successfully implemented process data-driven improvements.

Engagement:
*Chart/Poster-based activity: Using effective practice continuums, participants will explore process data collection methods relevant to their own schools.
*Participants will work in pairs/small groups to outline how they could implement this strategy as part of their own needs assessment.

Q&A segment to address questions, allowing for deeper exploration of specific participant concerns or scenarios. (10 minutes)

Closing and Next Steps (5 minutes)

*Recap of key concepts and takeaways.
*Next steps for integrating process data into participants' own school improvement processes.
*Sharing of additional resources (websites, articles, templates) for further exploration.

Engagement:
*Quick reflection activity: Participants will write down one action they will take when they return to their school based on what they’ve learned.
*Final interactive poll to gauge participant confidence in using process data moving forward.

Supporting research

"Learning to Improve: How America’s Schools Can Get Better at Getting Better" by Anthony S. Bryk et al.

"Using Data to Improve Learning for All: A Collaborative Inquiry Approach" by Nancy Love

"Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning" by Kathryn Parker Boudett, Elizabeth A. City, and Richard J. Murnane

Research Article: "The Role of Instructional Practices in Narrowing the Achievement Gap" (Educational Researcher, 2018)

"Making the Case for Using Process Data in Continuous Improvement" by Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

"Practice-Focused Collaboration - Getting Better Together, Efficiently" by Sam Redding and Allison Layland