My name is Joel McDougall, and I am the new Manager of Data Analytics at Groves Academy. My job is to help Groves leverage data across our entire organization, which allows us to make informed decisions and elevate the level of instruction that we provide to each student. It’s not common to find data analysts within educational organizations; however, Groves is a unique organization! As Groves continues to unite the science of learning with the art of teaching, data continues to be an integral part of the Groves Literacy Framework®. We are committed to understanding the most effective approach to teaching students who experience learning challenges and extrapolating that in general education settings, as well.
“Groves is uniquely positioned to be a leader in understanding the impact of powerful literacy instruction.”
Due to the sheer volume of student data that is collected every year, Groves is uniquely positioned to be a leader in understanding the impact of powerful literacy instruction. Diagnostic assessments and norm-referenced benchmark tests are some of the tools that teachers use to help differentiate instruction between students and provide the highest level of support possible. As a result, Groves seeks to pave the way for other organizations and demonstrate how data can be used to support learning outcomes.
A strong example of this is the data collection process in our Groves Literacy Partnerships℠. This fall, over 4,500 students from 46 different schools participated in benchmark testing to gauge their reading proficiency for the new school year. I prepared reports for each of these schools that allowed teachers to more deeply understand the reading abilities of every student in their classroom. This information is used not only to identify and support students who are struggling but can also be used to develop the skills of gifted students who are reading at or above grade level. Data helps us better understand each student as an individual and allows us to customize instruction to meet the needs of every child.
Groves is raising the bar with our data-driven method! This happens not only within the walls of Groves Academy and the Groves Learning Center, but across the Twin Cities as we equip our partner schools to leverage data more effectively and provide exceptional instruction.
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