Analyzing
School Data
Table of contents
The below steps are based on the cycle of acting and collaborating on SCTWCS data.
Throughout this toolkit, you will see how each page and resource connects to one of these five steps.
Introduction
This toolkit is structured to focus attention on how practices, policies, and decisions made at the school level can contribute to improving working conditions. It is intended for use by school teams to create plans for school-wide efforts, rather than plans for individual educators.
This section of the toolkit is intended for use by educators in both formal and informal roles, who are responsible for addressing school-level continuous improvement. While administrators may initiate or lead efforts to improve teacher working conditions, you are encouraged to include one or more classroom teachers and one or more educators in other roles within your school. The first step is to define who is, or should be, part of this work.
1. BUILD
Building a team
Assemble a team of educators that represents diverse perspectives and areas of expertise to engage in the work of analyzing and addressing school-level impact on teacher working conditions. While survey data were gathered only from teachers, many members of a school’s staff—including education support professionals, coaches, and administrators—are likely to have helpful perspectives on opportunities for strengthening working conditions. Improvement efforts will be stronger for the engagement of professionals in numerous roles. Using Worksheet 1 that follows, you will see recommendations for some perspectives and expertise that ideally would be included on the team.
It is important for each team member to understand that, while they have their individual experiences and expertise, the purpose of the work is to engage in continuous improvement efforts that can impact working conditions across the school, not only situations that impact individuals or small groups.
As you build your team, consider where and how the work of addressing teacher working conditions may integrate with other team and meeting structures within your school. Does a team already exist with the recommended roles and perspectives as part of its composition? Is there a team that, with a few adjustments, would have the recommended composition? Where in your school is work already focused on something related to working conditions? Is there a team or meeting time where it makes sense to integrate addressing working conditions?
You are encouraged to be strategic about weaving the work of this team into the work structures that already exist in your school. In doing so, you will ensure that the efforts addressing teacher working conditions are strategically aligned with ongoing initiatives and not an isolated approach.