Using Data

Why do we need to deal with data ?• In the context of what we do in

Qatar the answer could perhaps best be

‘To sumarise and present large amounts of data in such a way that others are able to achieve one of the following three aims’.

1) Quickly gain an overview or snapshot of what is happening.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100

10

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100

Maths Mid Semester results as a percentage

Class

Percentage

or

• English results

Follow up

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Grade 10 Reading skills follow up diagnostic results less than 2b

2b2p2a3b3p3a4b

Percentage

2) Identify areas of concern or intereste.g.

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Maths Mid Semester results as a percentage

Class

Percentage

Concern :Class with lower median Interest :

Lowest scoring 25 % of students in a particular class

3) Identify trends or improvementse.g.

10-6 start 10-6 mid 10-7 start 10-7 mid0

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Maths Diagnostic test and retest

Test

Score

or

Follow up

Initial

5.00 15.00 25.00 35.00 45.00 55.00 65.00 75.00 85.00 95.00Follow up Initial

less than 2b 0 6.45161290322581

2b 17.6470588235294 25.8064516129032

2p 35.294117647059 29.0322580645161

2a 23.5294117647059 16.1290322580645

3b 8.82352941176471 9.67741935483872

3p 8.82352941176471 6.45161290322581

3a 2.94117647058823 0

4b 2.94117647058823 6.45161290322581

Grade 10 English Diagnostic Summary

Percentage

What data should we present and how do we do this ?

• To do this effectively it is important that you understand your target audience.

• In Qatar this translates to selecting statistics which can be readily understood and graphs which can be easily explained.

Summary Statistics

• To describe a set of data normally two numbers are used.

1) a CENTRAL MEASURE or single number

chosen to represent the entire set.

2) A MEASURE OF SPREAD which, as the name suggests, provides an indication of how the data is spread out.

Central measures

There are two commonly used central measures or averages

• The mean calculated by adding all the data points together and then dividing by the number of points. e.g the mean of 6, 7, and 2 is

* The median calculated by putting all the scores in order then finding the middle value. So for the three numbers above the median is 6.

Measures of spread

• There are also two measures of spread in common use.

• 1) The Range = highest value – lowest value

• 2) The standard deviation which measures how much variation there is from the mean.

• To calculate from a spreadsheet

Data Display

Generally I have used three types of data display which, with some targeted PD, are now understood by the SMT and Staff within the school.

These are 1) Box and Whisker plots2) Strip percentage graphs 3) Comparative bar graphs

Summary Statistics

• Tabulated data can be cut and pasted from the workbook to help provide a better overall picture.

• Once this has been done I generally include three comments; one relating to medians, the second to the shape of the distribution and the third to the spread. e.g.

3)

Ongoing monitoring of Staff understanding

2)

Progressive training of targeted Staff so that by the

end of the contract they are

self

sufficient.

1) Targeted PD for all Staff and

members of the SMT to

ensure they

can understand, evaluate and

ultimately

use the information in a

meaningful way

.

Sustainability