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learning visits become a crucial component of the data driven decision making process.
Approaches to classroom learning visits are as varied as classrooms themselves. In a broad sense, these learning visits are developing slowly as teacher contract language evolves to counteract negative perceptions by educators. Douglas Reeves, CEO of the Center for Performance Assessment notes "that data doesn't have an emotional valiance to it. It is not positive or negativeand so the way that you take the emotionality out of it is to be utterly objective."

The instructional data collected from classroom learning visits, gathered through observation of the teacher, the students, or both, can serve to drive a professional development plan. Many administrators use classroom learning visits to document everything from a teacher's questioning techniques to students' time on task. Once collected, administrators and data teams can compile information to identify vulnerabilities and strive toward best practice teaching. Over time, it is the goal of these teams to be able to observe best practice teaching in similar situations, rather than observing children haphazardly exposed to widely varying methods.
Internally, school districts can turn to data driven decision making as a vehicle to reach best practice in literally any target area a district is seeking improvement. Another visible benefit of data driven decision making comes from opportunities for accountability and its presentation to the outside world. Operating under data driven values, school districts can present a level of transparency that can assist accessing community resources. Such an example can be seen in the classic struggle for school funding. School systems and the political action committees that represent them are relentless in their pursuit of funding at both the state and federal levels. Still, representatives at both these levels are less inclined to provide more money to a system they perceive as failing. If data driven decisions can produce positive, visible change, then school districts can market their own accountability to legislators through demonstrating their unique gains from the data driven model, as well as the processes taken to reach those new levels of achievement.

Learn more about this author, Bill Sims.
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