Empowerment Through Clarity and Data-Informed Practices with Casey Watts - Ep 5
🎙️ Who's on the Mic?
I recently had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Casey Watts, a phenomenal leader with over 20 years of experience in education. She's been a K-5 classroom teacher, academic coordinator, instructional specialist, and assistant principal, before moving into consulting, coaching, and speaking. And in addition to all of that – she's also a published author! Her first book, "The Craft of Clarity," is all about helping leaders bring their school improvement initiatives to life, step by step. Seriously, if you're feeling overwhelmed by those strategic plans and goals, Casey's got the blueprint.
Casey's core message, whether she's writing or speaking, is all about clarity. She talks about the "intermundum" – this wild concept of floating between different worlds, like the narratives between students and parents, or teachers and administrators. Her goal? To bridge those gaps with clarity. That's a game-changer, especially in education, where it often feels like everyone's speaking a different language when it comes to data.
💬 Episode Snapshot
Our conversation touched on the often-messy reality of data in schools. We talked about how, in a recent district she worked with, the practice was to look at data only in a surface-level, broad way, primarily focusing on end-of-year summative assessments and only the areas needing improvement. I’m sure you can relate. Casey bravely shifted that mindset by having teachers focus only on what could be celebrated in their data in the first round of benchmark assessments (talk about throwing a wrench in the usual "what's wrong?" conversation). This approach helped teachers reflect on their instructional practices that led to success. It's so true – data can feel incredibly personal, and we can't detach that, so why not make it a positive experience?
We also delved into the common obstacles to clarity in data conversations. Casey highlighted how "resistance" often stems from a lack of clarity. Leaders might see a ton of areas needing improvement but struggle to identify the biggest bang for their buck. And we often don't ask "why" enough times to get to the deeper root cause, leading to cyclical problem-solving and band-aid fixes.
As a former instructional coach myself, I resonated deeply with Casey's experience working with individual teachers. She pointed out that teachers often lack clarity on why, how, and which data matters. It's like we expect them to magically know all of this just because they have a teaching degree. We laughed about how we're often bombarded with trainings on how to use the copier, but not how to truly leverage data (although I have to agree that both are equally important 🤣).
💡 Key Takeaways
Celebrate the Wins First: Instead of always jumping to deficits, start by highlighting areas of strength in data. This builds trust and shows teachers what's working. It's a fundamental shift in mindset that can transform data conversations.
Clarity is the Foundation: A lack of clarity is often the root cause of "resistance" in organizations. Leaders need a system, like Casey's Clarity Cycle Framework, to provide clear action steps for data improvement. If everything is important, then nothing is.
Ask "Why" Five Times: Don't stop at the surface level of data. Keep digging by repeatedly asking "why" to uncover the deeper root causes of struggles or successes. This prevents cyclical problem-solving and ensures you're addressing the actual issue.
Data Literacy Isn't Innate: We can't assume educators inherently know how to analyze data effectively. Intentional, sustained professional development is crucial, focusing on what it looks like to analyze data in purposeful ways.
Coaching is Key: My reteaching cycle tool, for instance, isn't meant to be a one-size-fits-all mandate. It's a habit-building tool best implemented through one-on-one or small-group coaching, guiding teachers through the process rather than just handing them a spreadsheet and saying "figure it out."
🎬 Actionable Insights
Shift Your Data Meeting Focus: For your next data meeting, try Casey's strategy: dedicate the initial discussion only to areas of strength in your data. Ask teachers what instructional practices contributed to those successes. This will be a jolt to the system, and it'll help build trust by focusing on what's going right.
Define "Improvement": If you're asking for "improved reading scores," get specific! What exactly does that look, sound, and feel like? Break down "being a reader" into clear, actionable components. This applies to any data goal – clarity is queen here.
Embrace the "Why" Challenge: When analyzing data points that show areas for growth, challenge your team (and yourself!) to ask "why" at least five times. This helps move beyond surface-level observations and into deeper, more meaningful problem-solving.
Invest in Data Coaching: Consider bringing in a data coach/therapist (like me - although to be clear, I am not a certified therapist 🤣) or empowering existing instructional leaders to provide sustained, individualized support to teachers. Data work should be a collaborative journey, not a solo mission.
Check out Casey's Freebie: Seriously, head to the show notes and grab "Clarity over Clutter." It's a free 30-minute training that dives into how to give teachers what they want without micromanaging, addressing common clarity gaps, and saving you budget woes.
🔗Resources We Mentioned
The Craft of Clarity by Casey Watts: Casey's book that provides steps for leaders to reach school improvement goals and bring initiatives to fruition.
Clarity Over Clutter: A free 30-minute training and webinar replay by Casey Watts, focused on helping leaders give teachers what they want without micromanaging and addressing clarity gaps within a budget.
Casey Watts Coaching & Consulting: Casey's business providing coaching and consulting services.
My Reteaching Cycle Tool: A habit-building tool I use in coaching to help teachers develop data analysis skills.
My biggest takeaway from this chat is that clarity isn't just a buzzword; it's the bedrock of a thriving, people-driven data culture. It's about empowering everyone to ask better questions, have better conversations, and make better decisions, without the anxiety or the feeling that data is just another "gotcha!"
What was your biggest takeaway from this conversation? Hit reply and let me know! I'm always down to talk data (I said talk DATA, people, goodness).
Learn more about Casey Watts at www.clarity-driven.com
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Connect with Casey Watts
Email: catchingupwithcasey@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/in/catchupwithcasey
