A strong school culture reveals itself in the energy in hallways, the feel of classrooms, and the tone of school assemblies. One of the most important places where culture can be felt and further cultivated is at the teachers’ planning table. When educators come together to reflect on student data, they’re doing more than reviewing numbers—they're reinforcing a culture of collaboration, trust, and shared purpose.
Educators thrive when they can learn from and with each other—whether during PLCs, team meetings, or in other shared spaces. Student data offers a powerful, practical tool to support collaborative inquiry-based conversations. As teachers review data to guide instructional decisions, they also strengthen professional relationships and reinforce the purpose of data collection. In a world where data gathering can often feel overwhelming or disconnected from day-to-day teaching, collaborative review brings clarity and meaning back to the process. It reminds teams that data is meant to work for them, helping them teach more purposefully, responsively, and efficiently.
SPIRE STAR, the digital tool that tracks and reports concept mastery within the SPIRE reading intervention program, can deeply support a collaborative data review process. At a PLC meeting, teachers can review and make use of SPIRE STAR reports together. They may discuss the number of lessons students typically need to achieve concept mastery, share effective strategies, or brainstorm solutions to challenges. This kind of informal discussion transforms data into dialogue and supports a culture of collaboration and problem-solving.
To deepen collaboration further, teachers can use a structured protocol such as the Notice and Wonder Protocol (Venables, 2011) as they review student data. This process supports neutral, reflective dialogue and helps create a psychologically safe environment for discussing student outcomes. Here is how it works:
- Present the Data. Share a set of student data—either projected on a screen or printed—for everyone to review.
- Silent Review and “Noticing." Each teacher silently reviews the data and notes 2-3 neutral, observation-based statements starting with “I noticed...” (e.g., “I noticed that most students mastered SPIRE Lesson 4 after one reinforcement lesson.”).
- Sharing Observations. In a series of sharing rounds, each teacher contributes one "notice" at a time until all new observations have been shared. A facilitator records all observations in shared, visible space.
- Silent “Wondering.” Each teacher then writes 2-3 suggestions or non-judgmental questions starting with “I wonder...” (e.g., “I wonder if it would help to deliver another reinforcement lesson for SPIRE Lesson 8.”)
- Sharing Suggestions and Questions. The group repeats the sharing process for “wonder” suggestions or questions.
- Facilitated Discussion. The team discusses the collected observations and suggestions, makes connections to practice, and identifies any additional data needed.
Click to access a template to support use of the Notice and Wonder Protocol for Collaborative Data Review. For more information about how structured protocols like this one can create safe, productive dialog among educators, see The Case for Protocols (Venables, 2015).
When teams engage in meaningful collaboration, the benefits go beyond improving the quality of instruction. These conversations promote peer learning, mentorship, professional growth, and team cohesion. Building a strong school culture isn't only top-down—it’s lateral too. Teachers need space to learn from one another, grow together, and build creative momentum as a professional community.
Leaders play a critical role in making this possible. In How Principals Can Foster a Positive School Culture, one award-winning principal recommends protecting 90 minutes a week for intentional, structured collaboration focused on student data, lesson planning, and even practicing instructional delivery.
Schools with strong cultures don’t just collect data—they use it to build relationships, guide instruction, and fuel growth in both students and educators. When teachers can take part in open, reflective conversations within a safe and supportive environment, they not only strengthen their practice—they help cultivate a positive school culture in which everyone can grow.
