One of the most challenging, delicate, and perhaps strangest, parts of my job has been serving as either a facilitator or observer while a teacher or school leader is encountering their most recent student growth data for the first time.
Often the student outcomes are lower than people hoped, which leads to an emotional response that is uncomfortable…for everyone in the room. While reactions are unique to individuals, many follow a pattern that is reminiscent of the grieving process. Not the classical “5 stages of grief” exactly, but something similar.
It usually begins with denial. Most humans, when confronted with evidence that paints a less desirable picture of their performance than what we believed to be true, have an initial instinct to find fault with the underlying data. We point out the flaws, poke holes, point to other data sources, anything to deflect from confronting the reality before us.
This is a healthy first response, I think. We should question where data come from, how reports were compiled, and whether they are reliable. But there is a real danger in remaining in this stage for too long. After working through some of the data validity questions, we often invite people to set aside their doubts for a moment and consider what it means if the outcomes are real. “What if this was the situation in your classroom/school? Would you want to do something about it?”
This kind of imagining tends to pull people into the next stage, which is anger. Usually, it takes the form of righteous indignation, often directed at us, the messengers. “Do you know how hard I work already? What more do you want from me?!”
Blame tends to follow quickly on the heels of anger and takes one of two forms:
- The results are due to a million reasons that have nothing to do with my practice (e.g., “This is because the second-grade teacher didn’t do her job last year.” Or “The new curriculum is terrible.” Or “If you knew the kinds of situations my kids are dealing with at home.”)
- The results are totally my fault. (e.g., “I obviously don’t know how to teach.” Or “I’ve failed my kids.”)
The good thing about this stage is it implies acceptance of the evidence, a step in the right direction. And it provides an opportunity to reinforce the idea that dissatisfaction with overall student outcomes is an invitation to reflect on teaching, not an indictment of teachers.
If we see clear evidence that most students are not growing quickly enough, we need to be unflinching in facing that reality. And unwavering in our willingness to show ourselves and one another grace through the grieving process. Together, we can arrive at a place where we believe we should work differently, not harder, in service of our students. This is when true reflection and finding meaning begins (to borrow from David Kessler).
At this point, and not a moment sooner, we encourage teachers to talk out loud with their teams and coaches about their Tier 1 instruction (i.e., the grade-level standards, content, tasks, and interactions all students encounter routinely). What does it look like? Who is responding best, and why? Who is not well served by the approach, and why? Were results different last year than this year? Why might that be? What else is different?
This is the fun part. So often, there are aha moments and ideas for small tweaks that bubble to the surface, things the teacher can commit to trying the next day. Other times, the problems are more nuanced, and the changes needed are unclear. In either case, confronting and reflecting on what the data suggest about the quality of our work requires vulnerability and should be approached with a large measure of humanity. But we can’t let the discomfort keep us from identifying opportunities to better serve our students.
The goal for any leader when providing student growth data to teachers should be to elicit meaningful insights that lead to action. To this end, we coach leaders to help teachers land on specific answers to three questions—
- What do you know now (or know more deeply) as a result of wrestling with your latest outcomes?
- What are (or will you be) doing about it? (Just one or two things, not a 64-point plan!)
- What support do you need?
To learn more about how K12 Lift prepares leaders to facilitate evidence-driven conversations that empower teachers, click here.
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