Using Data to Make Better Instructional Decisions with Brennan Chandler
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Brennan Chandler, Assistant Professor of Dyslexia at Georgia State University, to talk about how schools can move beyond simply collectingliteracy data and actually use it to make better instructional decisions.
We dig into what a meaningful data deep dive looks like—from looking at schoolwide benchmark data to identifying grade-level patterns, examining specific subtests, and ultimately determining what instruction students actually need.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why benchmark and screening data tell only part of the story
The “funnel” approach to analyzing literacy data: school → grade level → classroom → student
Why a healthy Tier 1 goal is approximately 80% of students at or above benchmark
Which literacy measures deserve the most attention across K–5
Why ORF becomes especially important in grades 2–5
How ORF accuracy and words correct per minute tell us different things about readers
How Maze can help identify language-comprehension needs
Why low fluency doesn't automatically mean students need more phonics
When multisyllabic word reading may—or may not—be the instructional priority
How to use ORF errors to look more closely at phonological, orthographic, and morphological difficulties
How to sort students into instructional profiles using ORF + Maze
Why schools should consider a classwide Tier 1 intervention before immediately moving large numbers of students into Tier 2
The importance of immediate error correction and lots of opportunities to respond
How progress monitoring tells us whether our instructional changes are actually working
Fluency Flex
Dr. Chandler also shares a practical repeated-reading routine he has implemented with schools when data showed that fluency—not accuracy—was the primary bottleneck.
Students work with grade-level or stretch text and move through:
1. Echo Read → teacher models fluent reading
2. Choral Read → class reads together
3. Independent/Whisper Read → students read the passage independently
The routine takes about 10–15 minutes, with students reading the same passage three different ways. Teachers can then add comprehension questions and have students track their own fluency growth.
If You Only Have One Hour to Look at Data...
Start with the classrooms or grade levels where fewer than 80% of students are meeting benchmark.
Then ask:
What is driving the risk?
Is it:
ORF accuracy? → ORF rate/CWPM? → Maze?
From there, group the patterns and connect each pattern to an instructional response rather than jumping immediately to a new program or intervention.
The Big Takeaway
Data should move us from hunches → hypotheses → instruction → impact.
When we understand what our assessment data is actually telling us, we can stop spending time on instructional practices students may not need and focus our energy on the things most likely to move learning forward.
Connect with Dr. Brennan Chandler:
BrennanChandler.com
Instagram: @brennanchandlerphd
LinkedIn: Brennan Chandler
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