Ellen B. Mandinach

WestEd

February, 11, 2013

Innovative Data Use:Examples from REL West and

Beyond

“Education data have to be useful, useable, and used.”

(Schneider, 2013)

A Recent Quote

» The Virginia Department of Education

» The Arkansas Department of Education

» The Hawaii Department of Education

» The Maryland Department of Education

» The Oregon Department of Education

Examples of SEA Innovations

» Data-minded chief state school officer.

» Had one of the few research directors at an SEA who could bridge the needs of the program staff, SLDS, research, administration, and REL.

» Has an established SLDS with excellent direction that captures the vision of the SEA and has outreach to the LEAs.

» Includes in licensure requirements, the need to demonstrate competency in data use.

Virginia Department of Education

» “If Walmart can do it, why can’t we?” quote by former

commissioner

» Committed SLDS director trained in data systems and data use.

» Recently established research arm for the SLDS.

» Created understandable and useable graphical displays.

» Training across the state on formative assessment, with an SLDS component to incorporate those data.

Arkansas Department of Education

» Wrote into their SLDS proposal substantial educator training in data use.

» Creating an Longitudinal Data System training site for current educators, future educators, policymakers, educational staff, and other stakeholders.

» Opening up the LDS training site to educator preparation programs.

» Consulting with the Oregon Data Project and other professional development providers.

Hawaii Department of Education

» Goal – “how to make data part of the culture.”

» Wrote into their SLDS proposal a large training component.

» Creation of a Learning Management System, dashboard, webinars, seminars, workshops, self-serve portal with diverse resources.

» Hiring professionals to conduct the training.

» Train the trainer model. Train data coaches.

» Training for legislators, superintendents, and principals.

Maryland Department of Education

» Integrated data training into their SLDS proposals.

» Created the Oregon Data Project, an arm of the ODE.

» ODP has conducted training in a large proportion of the state’s LEAs.

» ODP has established a training model that is hopefully sustainable.

» ODP includes collaborations with five state institutions of higher education.

» Dean of Western Oregon who enculurated data there, joins ODE to further enculturate data use.

Oregon Department of Education

» Jefferson County Public Schools (KY)

» Kenton County Public Schools (KY)

» Charlottesville City Schools (VA)

» Loudon County Public Schools (VA)

» Tucson Unified Public Schools (AZ)

» Washoe County School District (NV)

» Mamaroneck Union Free School District (NY)

» Long Beach Unified School District (CA)

» Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, (TN)

Examples of Innovative Data Use in LEAs: Different Aspects

» Vision: Enhance the use of data-driven decision making, quality indicators, programmatic evaluation and district-wide accountability measures that will lead to continuous student, school and district improvement.

» Mission• Provide accurate data to customers in an efficient and timely manner• Support the district’s formative and summative assessment systems• Fulfill state and federal guidelines, policy, and reporting requirements

associated with accountability

Source: R. Rodosky

Jefferson County Public Schools – “will provide valid, reliable, and useful data to decision makers in a

timely manner”

» Has a data zealot as director of data management, planning, and program evaluation. He has emphasized the importance of data throughout the district. Survived different administrations.

» Developed their own data systems to meet their needs. Customized and raised funds for development. Raised $40 million. Data warehouse, testing system, summative and formative assessment systems, and data dashboards.

» Trained staff on system use.

» Has a competent research department to assist the district on data issues.

» Brought in Stiggins to provide comprehensive training on formative assessment.

Jefferson County Public Schools - continued

» Top administration committed to establishing a data culture.

» This culture has survived an administration transition. Deeply embedded vision.

» Principals have received training, yet teacher training is only turn-key at this point.

» Collaborating with Northern Kentucky on data issues to supplement expertise.

» Collaborating with WestEd to seek funding to examine the systemic nature of data use.

Kenton County Public Schools

» Hired a data-minded superintendent who has transformed the district.

» Like-minded principals have been hired.

» Established and implemented a data culture.

» Developed and customized data systems to meet specific needs.

» Committed data and research director.

» Training programs for staff.

» One staff member teacher data-driven decision making at the University of Virginia.

Charlottesville City Schools

» A data-minded superintendent who walks the walk not just talks the talk

» An assistant superintendent who emphasizes data in all discussions

» A research director (now departed) who developed data systems, established a data culture, provided comprehensive training, and showed that data use can make a difference

(Knobloch, 2007, 2010)

Loudon County Public Schools

Loudon County Public Schools –Data Analysis and Decision-Making Protocol

Loudon County Public Schools –An Example of Use

Loudon County Public Schools –An Example of Use

» “Data-driven and people-powered”.

» Principals are required to take an authentic assessment to develop a school improvement plan using a set of data to demonstrate data literacy. Contingency for hiring

» Developed home-grown data systems that informed the Arizona Department of Education.

» Have been using data to solve pressing problems for years – e.g., out migration of students to charters.

(Long, Rivas, Light, & Mandinach, 2008)

Tucson Unified School District

» Introduced a teacher evaluation system for elementary, middle, and high school

» Piloting a classroom observation protocol for their teacher evaluation system. 2012 in 16 schools. Psychometric examination of the system. Study by REL West.

» System evaluates: (a) Planning and preparation; (b) Classroom environment; (c) Instruction; (d) Professional responsibilities

» May be generalizable to the Nevada Department of Education and other districts

Washoe County School District

» Superintendent has made data use a priority to help decrease the achievement gap.

» Has created a data culture throughout the district.

» Has formed data teams in all schools and made possible time for teaming.

» Principals have become data leaders.

(King & Amon, 2008)

Mamaroneck Union Free School District

» Hiring decisions made on teachers’ ability to use data.

» Has a relationship with Long Beach State in which the district is forcing the institution of higher education to better prepare its teacher candidates for data-driven practices.

Long Beach Unified School District

» Recognizes the importance of having students become their own data-driven decision makers.

» Made this an emphasis in their RTTT District proposal.

» Have begun to explore training opportunities to help teachers with this initiative.

» This corresponds to the second recommendation in the IES Practice Guide on data use (Hamilton, Halverson, Jackson, Mandinach, Supovitz, & Wayman, 2009).

» Seeking proposal opportunities to support data training.

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools

» Leadership and vision are essential.

» Finding the resources requires creativity.

» Enculturation takes time and commitment.

» Sustainability across administrations is possible with sufficient embedding of the data culture.

» The status quo often has to be shaken up.

» Training for all educators and associated stakeholders is important.

» Not every exemplar has all components. This is a systemic process. It takes time, money, energy, and patience.

Some Common Themes

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email: emandin@WestEd.org

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Ellen Mandinach

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email: relwest@WestEd.org

website: relwest.WestEd.org

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94107

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