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Page 1: Education Leaders Conference - CCSSOprograms.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/Sum Rprt ELC printed version withcvr.pdfExecutive Summary CCSSO hosted a unique conference for state and district

E d u c a t i o n L e a d e r s C o n f e r e n c eE d u c a t i o n L e a d e r s C o n f e r e n c e

S E P T E M B E R 1 2 - 1 4 , 2 0 0 7H I L T O N S T . L O U I S A T T H E B A L L P A R K S T . L O U I S , M O

S P O N S O R E D B YS U R V E Y S O F E N A C T E D C U R R I C U L U M

S T A T E C O L L A B O R A T I V E

Using Data toImprove Instruction:

Building on Modelsthat Work

Using Data toImprove Instruction:

Building on Modelsthat Work

Summary ReportSummary ReportSummary ReportSummary Report

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Using Data to Improve Instruction:

Building on Models that Work

CCSSO Education Leaders Conference

September 12-14, 2007

St. Louis, Missouri

Summary Report

Rolf K. Blank

Director of Education Indicators

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Using Data to Improve Instruction:

Building on Models that Work

Executive Summary

CCSSO hosted a unique conference for state and district leaders in St. Louis, MO, September 12–14, focused on models for using data to improve instruction. A total of 190 leaders from 30 states across the country participated in the event. CCSSO planned the conference with the primary goal of assisting leaders in moving beyond collection and reporting of data, toward greater focus on identifying effective strategies and tools for using data to improve instruction and to provide training on how to implement database approaches to improvement in schools. Several highlights of the conference were

• An opening panel featuring Chiefs Gerald Zahorchak (PA) and Susan Castillo (OR), and deputies from Minnesota and Rhode Island focused on how state policies can be formulated to merge education improvement initiatives with leadership by states on improved use of data within schools, and how integrated data systems can be designed to meet educator needs.

• Keynote speakers for the conference were Dr. Mike Schmoker, nationally-known author and consultant on organizing schools to use data in instructional improvement, and Dr. Margaret Heritage, UCLA/CRESST expert on teachers’ use of formative assessment data in classrooms.

• In breakout sessions, 33 state and local leader teams shared their experience and evidence from use of data-based strategies and tools for raising the quality of instruction

• Chief Douglas Christensen (NE) led a panel of Nebraska educators in discussing results from a statewide approach for using data for purposes of accountability as well as school-based decisions for increasing effectiveness of instruction.

For our second annual Leader Training Conference on Using Data to Improve Instruction, CCSSO was very pleased with the high quality of sessions and presentations focusing on effective strategies and models for using data. Evaluation feedback from participants following the conference was very positive. The conference was hosted and organized by the CCSSO Surveys of Enacted Curriculum state collaborative project. To review the conference sessions and materials, go to the CCSSO webpage http://www.ccsso.org/projects/Surveys%5Fof%5FEnacted%5FCurriculum/SEC%5FMeetings/. Rationale for Conference

As states and school districts increase their capacity to collect, manage, and report a variety of data, educators are seeking to use the data to inform decisions about how to increase student achievement and improve instruction in classrooms. CCSSO is seeking ways to provide leadership with states to share their models and experiences for using data across states. The St. Louis conference focused on Using Data to Improve Instruction is an important step for moving state leadership beyond design, collection, and reporting of data to greater leadership on uses of data to focus efforts of educators. The Conference had three primary objectives:

• Present and discuss strategies, designs, and tools for using data to improve instruction that are currently being applied with schools across the states

• Analyze findings and evidence about the effectiveness of the variety of models and tools, and discuss their application as models for professional development in other locations

• Provide leadership training on how to implement and use data-based approaches to instructional improvement.

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This conference series was conceived in 2006 based on the recent experience of state leaders and consultants who are members of the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) Collaborative. The Collaborative was moving into more focused use of the SEC data for providing professional development leadership with district and school staff on how to combine instructional practices and content data with achievement data to focus improved student learning. The group recognized the need for leader training on the uses of data for improving instruction. Our state members wanted to gain skills in identifying needs of students and teachers from analyses of achievement data as well as instructional data, and then be able to use the data analyses to focus on change in instructional strategies, priorities on curriculum topics and expectations for learning. At the same time, we recognized that many states, districts, and professional development providers have been working on other specific approaches to using data to drive instructional improvement strategies. The Collaborative suggested to CCSSO that a conference that included presentations and discussions on a range of current models and strategies for data-driven instructional improvement would be very attractive to state leaders and many local districts. Such a conference, would provide an excellent way to help states review the available models, to consider research and evaluation evidence about effectiveness, and identify ways to link state data systems development to instructional improvement needs. The 2007 Using Data Conference in St. Louis was planned to build on and incorporate several programs and initiatives with state leaders that are currently operating at CCSSO:

• The Secondary School Redesign project funded by U.S. Department of Education has been working with state leaders over the past year to share the experiences and progress that states have made through federal grants for secondary school redesign. The Using Data Conference was scheduled to be held in the same hotel immediately after the fall meeting of this project.

• The Using Data Conference was planned by CCSSO and its planning committee as a complementary event in relation to the CCSSO National Conference on Large Scale Assessment (held in June each year) – which focuses on issues, progress, and research on development and implementation of student assessment programs.

• The Council has been part of the Consortium for School Improvement for several years and provides a monthly newsletter aimed toward state leaders involved with School Improvement Initiatives to share information, research, and state models for assisting low-performing schools.

• The Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) State Collaborative has been working with state education leaders since 1998 to develop, test, and implement a survey instrument that provides comparable, objective data on the curriculum taught in classrooms and the degree of alignment between state standards, assessments, and current instruction.

Conference Highlights

CCSSO issued a call for proposals in spring 2007 inviting sessions to be planned and submitted for the Using Data Conference. Proposals submitted from across the U.S. were reviewed by a planning committee comprised of state leaders, expert consultants, and CCSSO staff, and a total of 33 sessions were selected to comprise the majority of the conference agenda. The sessions were planned for 75 to 90 minutes. Each session provided participants with details about a model or strategy for use of data in improving instruction and evidence about the degree of effectiveness of the model/strategy with schools and teachers. Additionally, the planning committee recommended invited speakers and panels that would be featured in plenary sessions and highlight central issues regarding how data-driven improvement initiatives can be moved forward. Registration was opened to education leaders from state and local levels as well as providers of professional development, vendors, and researchers. In total, 190 persons registered for the 2007 Conference. Major themes, issues, and results presented in the plenary sessions and the focused breakout sessions can be highlighted.

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State Policies for Improvement Initiatives and Use of Data. In the Conference opening plenary session, two chief state school officers and two deputy chiefs described systematic, state-level efforts to incorporate training and leadership with use of data as part of broad state efforts to raise the performance of schools and districts. The efforts of Pennsylvania, Oregon, Minnesota, and Rhode Island were featured in the session, and each provided an example of how state-level leadership can integrate policy initiatives for advancing curriculum and instruction and school-based uses of data.

Presentation by Mike Schmoker, consultant on school improvement and Instruction.

Citing a range of research and practical experience, Schmoker focused the attention of conference participants on what is known about effective actions and organizing principles within schools to set learning goals, focus on the what and how of instruction that works, involve staff in learning from each other, and continually assess student performance.

Presentation by Margaret Heritage, expert on the use of formative assessment.

From her research in schools and classrooms, Heritage provided a detailed description and analysis of how one effective teacher develops and uses a range of data from classroom-based assessments, direct work with students, and external system-wide assessments and data resources to systemically advance the achievement levels of all her students.

Statewide approach to use of data featuring Nebraska Educators.

Commissioner of Education Douglas Christensen led a panel of Nebraska educators to explain the state’s approach to student assessment that starts with its purpose for district and school decisions about improving instruction, includes extensive professional development for educators on data analysis, and then provides aggregation and analysis for purposes of accountability at the state level.

Cross-state Roundtable Discussions—Recommendations The conference participants were involved in roundtable discussions that focused on findings and evidence generated across the sessions and presentations. The topics focused on key questions for moving data-driven improvement forward. A) What kind of data do educators/teachers need and how should data be provided?

Student learning data that is close to the classroom: • Item analysis • Common assessments • Student work • Cohort data for multiple years • “Value-added” data that provides information about student progress under that

particular teacher’s “watch” • Predictive data that will show the degree to which learning in “on track”

Data about best practices: o Data that can dispel myths o Data that can assist teachers in locating schools and/or districts where practices

are potentially more successful, e.g., in addressing the needs of specific populations, in teaching particular concepts and content, etc. (student learning data from comparable schools)

Multiple sources of data o State, district, classroom

What kind of access would best facilitate their use of data?

• Paper copies of really useful data that is provided to groups of teachers that help them understand how their students are doing

• Low technology options that teachers develop to track their students progress

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Teachers using data need leadership that is: • Supportive • Weeds out the un-useful data • Provides data literacy professional data • Provides the time for teachers to work together to analyze and make sense of the

data

B) What should be the role of states in organizing and providing educators access to important data?

• Implementing a statewide Student ID –enables access to longitudinal student data across districts. This is important with high levels of mobility.

• Providing a big picture context of what’s happening in education across the states. Which districts are performing well, despite challenging demographics and limited resources? Where should districts look for best practice models?

• The SEA has a role in identifying the key data that is needed for instruction • Large role in providing professional development to LEAs:

-- How to use data -- Data quality -- Building awareness of available tools for improving data use -- Maintaining a best practices library for districts

• SEA can be helpful in providing a standard, user-friendly format for district staff and teachers to view their data

• SEA plays a critical role in certification requirements for teachers and administrators. Can require coursework in data use.

• SEA needs to support the building of a technology infrastructure statewide—promote common standards, help manage vendors, enable common software development/interoperability

• SEA can get legislative support for needed resources • SEA can help provide common metrics and guidance for connecting data points

into meaningful indicators. C) How can we help teachers use data to improve practice – particularly in relation to standards?

• Leadership support is key–and leaders need to know how to use data—PALS example

• Teach about data use in preparation—pre-service • Need a structure for data use in the building, e.g. PLC • Educators involved in all aspects of assessment activities • Begin small and build (zone of proximal development) • Demonstrate value and usefulness • Must be continuous and ongoing • Use teachers within the state to score assessments • All faculty within a building must be trained and involved • And all stakeholders must be trained with same process • Both summative and formative data training • Demystify the terms and concepts used • Teachers be allowed to ask the questions • Time is a barrier • Data must be meaningful • Don’t play the blame game • 3 steps: collection, analysis, use results

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Breakout Sessions: State and Local Models and Tools The 33 breakout sessions included in the conference can be placed under one of several categories or themes. For most sessions, the model presented likely cuts across several themes but we have listed the title, presenters and abstract (see below) for each session under one category as a way to consider what was included in the 2007 conference. The session categories or themes are:

• Next generation of school improvement models • High school redesign especially for high risk students • Applying instructional and curriculum data • Educators access to assessment data through technology • System-wide models for data organization and use

You can access the presentations from 2006 & 2007 conferences on our webpage at http://www.ccsso.org/projects/Surveys%5Fof%5FEnacted%5FCurriculum/SEC%5FMeetings/. The webpage includes the Conference program indicating presenter’s institutional affiliation and contact information. 1) Next Generation of School Improvement Models Michael Hickey, Ronald Thomas, A Team Dialogue Model for Data-based Instructional Decision Making

The “old model” of data analysis, currently used in many schools, is largely dysfunctional. It attempts to use the essential accountability data for school improvement purposes which does not work. A Classroom-Focused Improvement Process (CFIP), based on a team dialogue protocol, is proposed to address these concerns. Maren Harris, Brad Oliver, School Reform for Student Success: One School’s Restructuring Story During the 2006-2007 school year, Washington-Carver Elementary school, located in Muncie, IN entered its first year of full restructuring under NCLB. This session will detail the school's restructuring plan and focus on the successes and lessons learned pertaining to the school's curriculum, instruction, policies, professional development, and resource allocation after one year in restructuring. Beata Thorstensen, Jan Sheinker-- Helping Educational Leaders use Accountability Data For School Improvement: New Mexico’s Principal Support Network In 2005, as part of the Wallace Foundation-funded State Action for Education Leadership Project, New Mexico started the Principal Support Network. The purpose of this network is to provide professional development to principals in the use of assessment data to create comprehensive school improvement plans using pivot tables to analyze data and CCSSO’s Data-Based Decision Making model. Attendees will learn about data analysis tools and techniques, and state-level policy changes that have occurred because of this initiative.

Deborah Swensen, Aaron Brough-- MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: Creating a Culture that Cares – about DATA!

The mission impossible is to initiate and sustain change while creating an educational culture that utilizes data within a high school. Educators need assistance in recognizing and utilizing data effectively. This session focuses on changing data perceptions and attitudes. Examples of information and meaningful reports will be provided. We will show innovative programs in Utah designed to create a dynamic culture that actively uses data in an effective way for the benefit of students.

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Aaron Butler, Michael Jordan, Deborah Williams-- Tennessee Exemplary Educators: An External Change Agent Approach to Using Data in State-Identified Schools The Tennessee Department of Education assigns external change agents called Exemplary Educators to provide technical assistance to schools identified by the state for improvement. This session highlights the ways in which these Exemplary Educators use data from formative and summative assessments, perceptual surveys, projection growth modeling, and other sources to facilitate improvement in state-identified schools. The session also presents strategies and tools that Exemplary Educators have used to build the internal capacity of schools to collect and use assessment data to improve school outcomes. Sheila Engle-Rinderknecht, Diana Bourisaw-- School Improvement Planning: Getting Results This session focuses on the SLPS school improvement planning process. The process, finishing its first year of implementation, is a data-driven school improvement model that requires all schools to engage in the practice of first collecting and then analyzing trend data on student assessments, attendance, discipline, graduation and stakeholder involvement. An essential component of the plan is root cause analysis (RCA) to determine possible reasons for chronically low performance. Sharnell Jackson, Gerald Biemler-- Linking Data and Learning Teams with Practices that Improve Achievement Promoting student achievement begins with the implementation of well-defined student instruction units, and teacher team meetings for periodic review and assessment of student performance. Chicago Public Schools uses SchoolNet software to support: 1) Automating ways to review student data to allow teachers to have timely access to data to help inform instruction 2) Providing relevant information about students to systematically monitor progress and personalize learning 3) Giving teachers and administrative leaders access to high quality Web 2.0 instructional resources to help support mass customization 4) Using the Learning Teams model to support professional learning communities practices, data-driven decision making, and the school improvement planning process to monitor progress

2) High School Redesign especially for High Risk Students

Sally Wherry, Julie Kalnin, Marilyn Orgaard, Sharon Ornelas-- Bridging Action and Research: Minnesota’s Lighthouse High Schools

The Minnesota Department of Education’s Lighthouse Project is an action research model to support high school redesign. This session outlines a two-year sequence of professional development and includes training materials. Two participating high school leaders describe their schools’ reform and research efforts. An evaluation of project-wide issues related to the use of data contextualizes the two schools’ experiences. Activities to engage participants in reflecting upon the model and implications for using data to support reform are integrated throughout the session.

Bary Habrock, Jody Isernhagen, Dan Radicia, Melissa Simons-- Use of Data Mining to Inform Instructional Practices for High-Risk 9th Grade Learners

The session will discuss use of data to inform and monitor instructional decisions for high-risk learners at the high school level. Presenters will share the experiences of one suburban high school as it engaged in data mining to uncover well-intended practices that were unintentionally widening the achievement gap for 9th grade students. High school leaders will describe their analysis processes, their best practices study, their work in changing 9th grade course placement practices, and initial impact data.

Linda Wallinger, James C. Firebaugh, Jr., Tabitha Grossman-- The Impact of Ninth-Grade Retention on Graduation and Dropout Rates

Students in the United States fail the ninth grade more than any other, often because they are not ready for the rigor of high school classes. This session will describe efforts undertaken in Virginia to help high schools review their ninth-grade retention data and other key indicators in order to develop effective strategies to help ninth-grade students advance to the next grade. A productive ninth-grade year leads to a greater chance of graduation success, thus decreasing dropout rates for high schools.

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3) Applying Instructional and Curriculum Data Ira Glick, Carolyn Sessions -- Curriculum Evaluation: An Important Consideration in Improving Instruction The Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum consists of 70 courses in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. These courses were evaluated with respect to their alignment to the state’s GLEs, quality of classroom activities, usefulness to teachers, rigor and relevance. The purpose of the evaluation study was to provide guidelines to Louisiana curriculum developers so that the curricula could be revised to maximize the potential for student learning. This workshop will share details of the study as well as findings.

David J. Ruff, J. Duke Albanese-- PDA Walkthroughs: Improving Instruction through Classroom Observations and Data Analysis

What is the classroom learning experience of our students in our high schools? Unfortunately, we have little whole-school data that captures the prevailing instructional pedagogy of a high school much less the learning experience of our students. This work session will introduce, a three-minute classroom observation process that uses personal digital assistants (PDAs) and a password-protected, web-based database to collect, analyze, and graphically display hard data on instructional efficacy. Data is then made available for analysis and reflection by all educators in a high school.

Jennifer Unger, Mary Wermers-- Using Data, Surveys of Enacted Curriculum, and Research: Make the Connections That Make a Difference This session will explore some of the key elements of using data, but in a more significant way, the “how” of using data that will make a difference for staff and for kids. Participants will explore and be engaged in a data analysis process and a causal analysis process using student learning data and Survey of Enacted Curriculum data. Participants will be introduced to “Cause Cards” that will assist them in making connections between student learning problems, the cause of the problem, SEC data, and best practice/research. Participants will leave with ideas about integrating this process into their school and district improvement efforts and a sample set of “cause cards.”

Stan Hill, Curt Rathburn, Margo Healy-- Idaho Principal's Academy of Leadership: Year 2 All schools in the academy project have administered the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum and participated in an Idaho Instructional Review for two years. This session will provide a look at the data findings from both the surveys and the instructional reviews with their linkage to student performance on standardized tests associated with the Principal’s Academy for Leadership involving thirty middle schools in the state of Idaho.

Gwen Pollock, Penny Billman, Amy Jo Clemens, Carol Diedrichsen-- The Alphabet Soup Project and Beyond: Using the SEC to Improve Instruction in Illinois The Illinois Alphabet Soup Project piloted use of the SEC with teachers in Career-and-Technical Education (CTE), Comprehensive School Reform (CSR), and the Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP). We explored how the SEC could help us build data-based accountability in our high schools. We will share enthusiastically the method to our madness, diverse data analyses, and lessons learned.

Sharon Harsh, Betty Jo Jordans-- Using Data to Appraise the Secondary Instructional Program Participants will be provided with an overview of the Instruction and Learning Appraisal (ILA) and will learn how the results of the appraisal can be used to strengthen instruction at the secondary level. Participants will analyze and explore the findings and results of a recent appraisal conducted in 16 high schools throughout West Virginia.

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Carolyn Karatzas, Lani Seikaly-- SEC Leadership Training Module 1: Using SEC Data with State Assessment Results-- How to Avoid the Knee-Jerk Reaction All too often we start initiatives that are viewed as “one more thing.” This session looks at engaging teachers with their state assessment results and their SEC data. Participants will look at a way to focus teachers on the strengths and weaknesses in their data, as well as how to begin a culture of using data on a regular basis. Be ready to roll your sleeves up and dig into data.

Lani Seikaly, Carolyn Karatzas -- Leadership Training Module 2: The Motivation to Use the SEC Data How do we convince teachers they need this tool? You don’t need to. Let the data do the talking! This session will look at a “backward” design to having teachers find purpose for using the SEC data. Participants will look at several examples of how leaders and trainers have motivated teachers to use their SEC data. If you are looking to build capacity and get others involved in your SEC project, this session is for you!

Gary Money, Maren Harris-- A Professional Development Model Utilizing Best Practices and the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum Instructional Practices Data

What Works in Schools—Translating Research into Action (Marzano, 2003) addresses school issues that affect student achievement. In the chapter focusing on instructional strategies is a reference to nine categories of instructional practices, ranked in order of effectiveness, regarding student achievement. This workshop will offer a professional development model utilizing collaborative inquiry and data-driven decisions to increase the use of these effective teaching strategies by analyzing teacher data from the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum instructional practices section.

4) Educators Access to Assessment data including Use of Technology Rebecca Cohen, Margaret Heritage-- Tools to Increase Capacity for Effective Data Use

This session will present the comprehensive web-based tools to support effective data use that have been developed at the Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center. Presenters will describe and demonstrate the range of available tools, and engage participants in a discussion about how they can be used by education leaders to improve instruction.

Barry Brahier, Lissa Pijanowski-- You asked for it – You got it! Actionable Data Informing Classroom Instruction Teachers and leaders in Forsyth County Schools, Georgia envisioned instructional data organized in a meaningful way including research-based data elements. The system created by Forsyth leverages the data housed within the student information system to create a class profile for each K-12 teacher. This interactive session will demonstrate how these profiles provide teachers with a real-time dashboard of information including student demographics, program information, discipline, attendance, class average, and assessment data to affect instruction.

Anthony Cavanna, Stan Heffner, Danish Shafi, Bani Dheer-- Raise the Ceiling - Raise the Floor: Using Data to Inform Teaching Practice

Educators across the country are trying to collect and make sense of a wealth of information about student progress, when, in reality, most have not been trained to use data in thoughtful, meaningful ways that will impact classroom practice and student achievement. This discussion will address the creation of useful models for assessing student achievement and the development of meaningful score reporting to support instructional design and to meet accountability mandates.

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Leslie Nabors Oláh Teacher Use of Interim Assessments in Elementary Mathematics: A Two-District Study

While interim assessments have the potential to provide relevant information on student learning, we know little about how teachers use the results from this increasingly popular form of assessment. We present findings based on teacher interviews and classroom observations conducted in one urban and one suburban district during the 2006-2007 school year. While these teachers’ use of interim assessments has moved beyond merely administering the assessments to attempts at informing teacher assessment and instructional practices, such efforts are influenced by the varying degrees of support for test creation, administration, results analysis, and instructional planning.

Sean Mulvenon, Charles Stegman, Calli Holaway-Johnson-- IDEAS: Institute for Developing Excellence in Arkansas Schools

Educators today are inundated with data. Frequently, the amount of data available to educators is overwhelming, and data are not used to make important educational decisions. In order for educators to utilize data in the most effective manner, they must know how to interpret data and apply the results. This session will explore how online, interactive professional development sessions on data interpretation can lead directly to informed changes to improve educational systems.

Sue Bechard, Gaye Fedorchak-- Research Findings and Implications for the 2% Flexibility Option. Four New England states (RI, NH, VT, and ME) received a USDE grant to explore the issue of students in the assessment gap and to look for more valid and relevant approaches to testing. Five studies used multiple data sources and methods to research these concerns. The findings have implications for the recently finalized 2% flexibility option for developing an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards and identifying which students with disabilities may be eligible.

Beth Williams, Cephus Jackson, Donna Jackson-- Using Data to Impact Classroom Instruction: Lessons Learned It’s not having assessment data that makes a difference – it’s using those data to inform decisions at the district, school and classroom levels. Educators are often competent when implementing assessment programs, but are often less success in using data meaningfully at all levels. The presenters will share how they implemented district-wide assessment programs and then engaged principals and teachers in using the data. The effects of those efforts, specific examples and the lessons learned through these efforts will be shared.

Margaret Honey, Naomi Hupert, Ron Thorpe-- Linking Data and Learning: Exploring Practices that Improve Achievement This session, based on chapters in a forthcoming book, Linking Data and Learning: Exploring Practices that Improve Achievement (Mandinach & Honey, in press), will present an overview of the book’s research findings that illustrate how educators are using data and technology tools to make decisions that will lead to lasting improvements in student performance. The overview will be followed by two presentations that will ground the themes presented in the research summary in specific projects that illustrate the ways in which technologies can be used to support data-driven practices.

5) System-wide models for data organization and use Gerald Zahorchak, Gwen Carol Holmes-- Evidence-Based Reform in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s data-driven support system for schools will be presented including formative benchmarks built on state assessment blueprints, school improvement planning tools, a web-based tool for finding research-proven solutions that match identified needs, and technical support in using these tools. The Pennsylvania Department of Education will share their standards for research-proven solutions, how they encourage their adoption, and how they are assisting program developers in evaluating programs so that the list of proven programs continues to grow.

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Margaret Heritage, Raymond Yeagley-- A National Data Model: What is it and How will it benefit data use for improved instruction?

The focus of this session is on comprehensive national Pre K-12 data model being developed by a task force of the National Forum on Education Statistics. The model is intended to assist education providers, vendors, and others in designing and using data tools.

Doug Christensen, Pat Roschewski, Jan Hoegh, David Hamm-- A Policy Perspective: Can Classroom-Based Assessment be Used for Both Improving Instruction and State Reporting? In this session, the Commissioner of Education, the Director of State Assessment, a Superintendent, and a Principal in Nebraska give their perspectives and explain how a state and local assessment and data system have been successfully working in their state for the last seven years.

Carol Diedrichsen, Harvey Smith-- Less Red Tape, More Learning: The Interactive Illinois Report Card and Illinois e-Plans

This session presents an on-line data analysis and planning tool for accessing longitudinal state assessment data. The Interactive Illinois Report Card allows easy review and analysis of this data and uploading of additional district local data, offers instructional resources, and provides planning templates prompted by NCLB. The template features include easy functionality, clear presentation, and data analysis in the automatically populated screens. The result is a paperless process encouraging classroom-focused student learning and reduced bureaucratic hoop-jumping. Elizabeth Laird-- State of the Nation - How Schools, Districts, and States are Using Longitudinal Data This session will synthesize the Data Quality Campaign’s findings on how schools, districts, and states across the nation are using longitudinal data in conjunction with other types of data, like formative assessments, to tailor instructional programs, policies, and practices. Session attendees will learn about how the same set of longitudinal data can meet the diverse needs of various education stakeholders all working towards the same goal: Improving Student Achievement. Sherdyne Cornish, Carol Gardner, Esther Coleman, Erma Johnson-- Rapid Regeneration [R2] of Mathematics Teachers Using Technology Rapid Regeneration of Teachers [R2] is a superior alternative to the current math content professional development programs available for teachers in Arkansas. [R2] utilizes multi-media to introduce K-12th grade teachers to the most innovative and proven instructional math content and practices for teaching a standards-based math curriculum; before enrolling them in advanced mathematical content classes taught on school sites in a non-threatening setting.

Melanie Byrd-- Using Data in a Systems Thinking Model to Align District’s Resources & Goals The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement devoted its March 2007 webcast to Systems Thinking in Practice and featured Dr. Mike Miles, Superintendent of Harrison School District 2 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and developer of this Systems Thinking model that he has used successfully in two school districts. Using clips from the webcast, we will describe the model and provide illustrations of its implementation. Finally, a set of data collection tools designed to assist districts (1) assess the adequacy of their current data information systems and (2) use data to develop an action plan reflecting the Systems Thinking model.