Term
Summer 2022
Capstone
Capstone Project
Degree Name
MALED
Facilitator(s)
Melissa Erickson and Tia Clasen
Content Expert
Kelly Hagen
Abstract
As part of this research, nine professional development sessions and a data workbook were designed to address the research question: how can a school establish a sustainable system for making data-based decisions to strengthen the literacy skills of kindergarten and first-grade students necessary for further educational success? Data-driven decision-making is an essential component of an MTSS framework and is based on the steps of a problem-solving model. Key tenets of a data-driven school include strong leadership, a comprehensive assessment system, easy access to data, time and resources to examine data, and clear connections between data and potential interventions. Often schools collect data but are not given the time, resources, or professional development to analyze the data. For this project, professional development was intentionally designed based on knowledge of adult learners, creating self- and collective teacher efficacy, and frameworks for effective professional development. Throughout the school year, teachers are guided through the data-driven decision-making process focusing on early literacy skills. While each of the five components of reading are essential to building comprehensive literacy, this project focuses on the early literacy development of phonemic awareness and phonics skill development. The data workbook gathers universal screening, diagnostic assessment, and progress monitoring in a central, easy to access location, along with providing clear connections between early literacy skills, intervention, and progress monitoring. Flow charts and data-analysis recording forms support teams throughout the data-driven decision-making process. This project strives to accelerate students’ early literacy skills to support their comprehensive literacy development.
Project Type
Professional Development
Keywords
Achievement, Literacy, Reading, Staff Development
Recommended Citation
Bly, Kaari, "Strengthening Early Literacy Skills Through Data-Driven Decision Making" (2022). School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects. 827.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_cp/827
dc_type
text
dc_publisher
DigitalCommons@Hamline
dc_format
application/pdf
dc_source
School of Education Student Capstone Projects