What does it mean for a school to be ‘data-driven’, and how will this approach benefit our children? GESS – International School’s Head of Teaching and Learning gives us the lowdown.
You might hear the words “data” and “data-driven” a lot these days. But what do they mean when it’s used in an educational context, especially for a school like GESS – International School? This leading international school is using new ways to make the most out of data to improve its educational offerings. But what kind of data is it using, and how does it help students?
To find out, we spoke to Rebecca Scrivener, Head of Teaching and Learning at GESS, who explained what being a data-driven school means and how this school is making it work.
Can you briefly explain what it means for an international school like GESS to be ‘data-driven’?
At GESS, being data-driven means teachers use different types of data to make important decisions about teaching and learning. This data can include student work samples, test scores, surveys, and classroom observations. By looking at this data, teachers can see what is working and what needs to be improved, which help both teachers and students do better.
How does this benefit students?
Using data helps students understand what they need to work on. It allows them to see their progress and set goals for themselves. At the same time, teachers can find the best ways to teach each student and fix any problems early. This makes learning more effective and personalised.
Can you share some of the initiatives that GESS has already implemented?
GESS has set clear goals for the next three years and started working on them. A special team – including myself, Iskandar Zulkarnain bin Ibrahim (Educational Data Technician), and Karsten Fink (Pedagogical Quality Management) – is leading this effort. We are using data to help teachers and students be more effective.
One of the biggest projects involved is creating a data dashboard. This is a useful tool that allows teachers to see their students’ academic data easily. It will also help set individual goals and find areas where students need more support. The data dashboard will be ready in the 2024/2025 school year. We are also looking at patterns in the data to find the best teaching practices. At the same time, GESS is giving teachers more training on how to use data as well. This helps them improve their teaching, ensuring they can give students the best education possible.
GESS is an active member of the wider educational data community too, gaining insights from industry experts and collaborating with other schools. The school will be hosting the 2024 Data in Schools Conference this October as well, which gives our faculty team another opportunity to collaborate and share with international schools from around the world.
Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us, Ms. Scrivener. We wish GESS all the best in this project!
Thank you! We’re equally excited about all the possibilities this project promises, which is part of the school’s five-year limitless learning plan. Having been a GESS teacher for the past 17 years, I know how valuable it is to have access to the bigger picture of how my students are doing, so I can be responsive to their needs and craft the best possible learning experiences for each of them.
Want to know more about how GESS’ data-driven approach can benefit your child? Contact the school for a one-to-one consultation or school visit today.
This post is in partnership with GESS – International School.
