| From Vision to Action: How School Districts Use Data To Improve Performance. (PDF) |  |
| \With the passage of "No Child Left Behind" in 2001, schools are expected to provide a standards-based curriculum for students to attain math and reading proficiency and demonstrate progress each year. "NCLB" requires more frequent student testing with publicly reported results in an effort to close the achievement gap and to inform parents, teachers, administrators of student progress. Meeting these ambitious accountability goals requires transparency in the workings of the organization and the cooperation of everyone involved in the education of each student. These mandates have accelerated change already underway in the nation's schools and in the teaching profession. Leading school districts have developed advanced technological systems and professional expertise for analyzing data to deliver timely information for the improvement of operations and instruction. They have embarked upon a process of using data in decision making at all levels of the organization, borrowing management models from business and from each other. Published in 2003, "Vision to Know and Do: The Power of Data as a Tool in Educational Decision Making" defined a vision for continuous improvement, identified leadership districts creating a climate for change, and reviewed the implementation of systems and processes to enable data-driven decision making (DDDM). "From Vision to Action: How School Districts Use Data to Improve Performance" moves beyond the vision and visits districts that are acting on their data, testing the process, and seeing improvement in student learning. "From Vision to Action: How School Districts Use Data to Improve Performance" is written for school district leaders and K-12 educators who are seeking ways to implement a data-driven decision making process. To understand how pioneer school districts have met the technological and human challenges of DDDM, "From Vision to Action" focuses on three areas of development and action: (1) leading in a learning organization; (2) moving from data collection to analysis to action; and (3) sustaining data-driven decision making. |  |
| Data Tools For School Improvement (Document Missing) | |
| A diagnostic testing process that automatically records what each student already knows or needs to master to meet all district and state learning standards by the end of the year would not only suggest lessons to assist the students with their learning needs as a whole, but it would also indicate which students need additional, individualized support. These strategies will help schools select an appropriate and effective data system. | |
| Forum Guide To Decision Support Systems (PDF) | |
| This document was developed by educators for educators to remedy the lack of reliable, objective information available to the education community about decision support systems. | |
| Review Of Progress Monitoring Tools | |
| The tools chart below reflects the results of four annual reviews that the Center's Technical Review Committee (TRC) have completed. A star in the "Area" column indicates new information from the 2007 review. | |
| Study: Schools Head Toward Enterprise Data Management | |
| An article about a study released by a consulting firm showing that school districts are starting to take an enterprise-based approach to data management. | |
| Finding Your Way In A Data-Driven World | |
| Schools now have the tools to analyze data in a more structured, timely, and organized fashion. | |
| Forum Curriculum For Improving Education Data (PDF) | |
| This publication is a curriculum designed to support the training by qualified instructors of K-12 school and district staff about the issues pertaining to the production of high-quality education data. It builds on the "Forum Guide to Building a Culture of Data Quality: A School & District Resource," published by the National Center for Education Statistics in November 2004 (ED483079). It provides lesson plans, instructional handouts, and resource materials. | |
| The 10 Essential Elements In Detail For 2007-08 | |
| The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) and the National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA), with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, conducted a survey about state data systems to determine the number of states that have built the infrastructure to tap into the power of longitudinal data. Similar surveys were conducted in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. | |
| Why Interoperability | |
| SIF interoperability for different applications | |
| Does Your District Need A Technology Audit? | |
| An article advocating for technology audits as an important tool in technology evaluation and planning. | |
| Making Connections In Math: Part 2 | |
| Jason Kamras was the 2005 National Teacher of the Year. Mr. Kamras' goal is to raise awareness about the achievement gaps that result from inequalities. He shares his ideas regarding policy changes, teacher preparation, classroom management, and the benefits of uniforms. He also discusses his goals for the future and shares his advicoe for new teachers. | |
| The Plugged-in School: Districts Harness Technology To Attract And Retain New Teachers | |
| While schools districts may be slow to jump on board, universities, regional education service agencies, and non-profit organizations are harnessing some of the new technologies as a way to both appeal to incoming teachers and to support them during their challenging first years in the profession. | |