CONNECTICUT ACCOUNTABILTY FOR LEARNING INITIATIVE Executive Coaching

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Taking a Risk Showcasing Your Data
Connecticut State Department of Education Using
Data to Improve Instruction New Strategies and
Tools Council of Chief State School
Officers Summer Leadership Training
Conference July 30- August 2, 2006 Millennium
Harvest House, Boulder, Colorado
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Balance

• Systemic change model focused on
• instruction and assessment
• NCLB requirements

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The Work for States, Districts and Schools

• State, district and school leaders examine data
• and come to a deeper understanding of their
• strengths and needs
• Continuously use data to improve teaching and
  learning
• Share accountability for improving achievement
• Building the capacity of district and school
  leaders to learn from their data

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Connecticut Accountability for Learning Initiative
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GOAL

• To develop and implement a systemic and
  sustainable model of school improvement which
  focuses on accountability for student learning

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A Professional Development Vehicle that will

• Focus on the district as the primary agent of
  change
• Focus on improving achievement of ALL students
• Differentiate support and training based on
  individual district and school needs

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A Professional Development Vehicle that will

• Coordinate with existing initiatives at the state
  and district level
• Create a culture of professional learning
  communities
• Build leadership and training capacity in the
  state

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Partnerships

• Center for Performance Assessment (CPA)
• Stupski Foundation
• Districts
• CT Regional Service Centers
• CT Professional Organizations
• CT Professional and Business Groups

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Accountability for Learning
Standards Instruction and Assessment
Effective Teaching Strategies
Data Teams
Data-Driven Decision Making
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Components

• Basic Level Training
• Certification Level Training

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FUNDING!!
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Data Showcase

• Change Culture
• Make Data Transparent
• Share Lessons Learned
• Replicate Best Practices

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RISKY?

• Beginning Stages of Using Data
• Willingness to Share
• Quality
• Who Would be Interested

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Build and They Will Come

• 100 displays
• 400 attendees
• Varied in quality
• Willingness to share
• District data fairs
• Sharing between urban and non urban
• Use of displays

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Culture Change

• IMPACT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT?

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Creating Capacity Form Data Teams

• Elementary
• Most data teams are grade level teams

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Creating Capacity Form Data Teams

• Middle School
• 1. Grade level teams
• focus on specific students and
  academic needs, not content specific
• 2. Vertical content departments
• focus on status of student
  achievement in content area, and
  effective instructional strategies

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Creating Capacity Form Data Teams

• High School
• Departments serve as data teams except in the
  event that the team is too large for effective
  collaboration
• High school departments divided into smaller
  groups/teams by commonly taught classes or formed
  by the students they have in common (freshman,
  seniors, etc.)

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Desired Outcomes of Data Teams

• Focus on more than test scores
• Include factors that are within the control of
  teachers
• Provide focus and eliminate the clutter
• Remove excuses
• Be able to answer Which students are not meeting
  standards in _______?
• Establish a plan to do something about it and
  do something about it

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The Data Showcase

• On a Treasure Hunt

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Sharing Found Treasure

• Your important challenge
• Similar strategies
• Different strategies
• The results

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Learning Application

• Question Answer

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Connecticut State Department of Education Contact
Information

• 860-713-6778
• Frances Rabinowitz, Associate Commissioner for
  Teaching, Learning and Assessment
• frances.rabinowitz_at_ct.gov
• Nancy Stark, Education Manager,
• School Improvement and Literacy Unit
• nancy.stark_at_ct.gov
• Harriet Feldlaufer, Education Consultant
• harriet.feldlaufer_at_ct.gov
• Leon McKinley, Leder-in-Residence
• leon.mckinley_at_ct.gov
• Anna Cutaia-Leonard, Education Consultant
• anna.leonard_at_ct.gov