• School Data Leadership Team
  Close

  Each school participating in the Data Use Professional Development series will select approximately four educators to learn and implement a culture of collaborative data use.  These four educators will form the School Data Leadership Team (SDLT) and will be critical in implementing and maintaining data-driven instructional practices at the school level.  Principals will be included as members of the SDLT, while the additional three team members will be selected according to specific criteria set forth by each LEA.  Guidance is provided on the selection of a School Data Leadership Team to help districts make decisions should they need assistance. 

  NEW!!  SDLT Guidance Document (PDF)
• Principal
  Close

  Principals of all schools participating in the Data Use Professional Development have a critical role on the School Data Leadership Team.  As the leaders of our schools, principal participation is an essential factor in successful data use and collaboration at the school level.

• District Data Liaison
  Close

  Each district will select at least one person as their district data liaison(s).  Data liaisons will own this work at the district level and will be critical to sustaining this work across the districts. 

  NEW!!  District Data Liaison Guidance Document (PDF)

• NEW!!   Tentative 2012-13 School Year Schedule
• Overview
  Close

  School Data Leadership Teams from each school will participate in the Data Use Professional Development series in either Year 1 (2012-2013 School Year) or Year 2 (2013-2014 School Year).  Approximately half of the schools in the state will participate in each year.  School Data Leadership Teams have been assigned to a year and cohort based on the following criteria:

  o	LEA preference
  o	Readiness to implement (as measured in the Needs Assessment from February and March of 2012)
  o	Tier assignment

  Some districts chose to divide their schools into two groups – Year 1 and Year 2.  Depending on readiness to implement, district size, and individual implementation plans, some districts decided to stagger SDLT participation over the course of the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years.

• Year 1 (2012-2013 School Year)
  Close

  Year 1 schools will send School Data Leadership Teams to all off-site Data Use Professional Development offerings as well as commit to implementing a culture of collaborative data use in their schools.  Approximately half of the schools in Rhode Island will participate in this initiative in the 2012-2013 school year beginning in August 2012.  Depending on individual district implementation, some schools within a district were identified as “Year 1 Schools” while the remaining schools in the district are scheduled to participate in Year 2.

• Year 2 (2013-2014 School Year)
  Close

  Year 2 schools will participate in the Data Use Professional Development series in the 2013-2014 school year.  Any schools in participating districts that did not receive training in Year 1 will be eligible to receive training in Year 2.

• Overview of Rhode Island's Data Use Professional Development
• Content - COMING SOON!!
• Structure
  Close
  

  o	Three-day Intensive Institute - The training will kick off with a three-day intensive institute in which school data leadership team (SDLT) members will build a solid foundation on the analysis and use of student data.  These institutes will occur in the summer or during the beginning months of school.  It should be noted that these institutes are not three consecutive days.  Cohorts will meet for 1 or 2 days and reconvene for the remaining days so that cohorts have the opportunity to bring relevant data to the institute.
  o	Just-in-time Professional Development Workshops - Following the intensive institutes, SDLTs will receive three rounds of “just-in-time” professional development over the course of the school year, giving relevant, real-time training on the use of student data.  SDLT members are encouraged to bring real student data to make these workshops as helpful as possible.
  o	On-site Coaching - Immediately following each workshop, data coaches will visit every school (three times total throughout the year) and help analyze data, facilitate data meetings, and/or coach others on the use of data to drive instruction.  Visits can be tailored in advance to ensure that trainings are meaningful.
  o	Reflection/Planning Workshop - As educators, we know reflection and planning are important steps for learning.  The final component of the Data Use Professional Development series has data coaches and SDLTs meeting to discuss progress, lessons learned, and plans for continuing data use in subsequent years.  This final workshop will wrap up the professional development series.

• Tiered Trainings
  Close

  RIDE and Wireless Generation recognize that individual districts and schools have different needs for the Data Use Professional Development series.  School Data Leadership Teams will bring a variety of data use experience and expertise to the table, and individual schools have different collaborative structures in place.  Therefore, trainings will be tiered to best accommodate the differing needs of each School Data Leadership Team.
  
  School Data Leadership Teams will be assigned to one tier of training depending on the results of the needs assessments (which include measures of school data use and collaboration as well as feedback from the LEA).  Tiers are designed to best meet SDLTs at their current level of data use and elevate them to new levels.

• Cohorts
  Close

  School Data Leadership Teams will belong to a cohort of fellow educators that match each other on data use experience and expertise.  Cohorts will contain no more than five SDLTs and will learn together for the intensive three-day institute, just-in-time workshops, and the reflection/planning workshops.  Each cohort will be assigned one data facilitator that will stay with the cohort for the remainder of the year.
  
  District data liaisons will be invited to join a single cohort for the entirety of the professional development series.  In addition, they may also choose to sit in at various times in several cohorts within their district.
  
  Cohorts will have no more than 25 educators participating (i.e., up to five SDLTs with four educators each, plus one or more district data liaisons).  Small groups are conducive to rigorous conversation, honest sharing of experiences, and tailored assistance.

Wireless Generation was selected to develop and deliver the Data Use Professional Development series with RIDE.  Using Rhode Island educator feedback and specific data on each district and its schools will allow RIDE and Wireless Generation to develop the most appropriate professional development offerings for Rhode Island schools.  In partnership with RIDE, Wireless Generation will deliver a rigorous, tiered professional development series on the use of data.

• NEW!!   When will the remaining days of Professional Development be scheduled?
  Hide
  
  The scheduling process is completed initially via email between the District Data Liaison and the Data Use Professional Development Project Manager Dan Costello.  Districts have been tentatively scheduled for specific dates and those dates are being shared via email with District Data Liaisons.  We encourage Data Liaisons to share the dates with participating principals to confirm the availability of School Data Leadership Team members. District Data Liaisons may then confirm the dates, or if a conflict arises, contact Dan Costello to reschedule.  Because the schedule fills up quickly, District Data Liaisons are encouraged to begin the confirmation process early so that we can accommodate the scheduling needs of the district.
   
• NEW!!   Where can I find the materials from the training?
  Hide
  
  All District Data Liaisons were invited to join a Google Group where all training materials can be easily downloaded.  In addition, RIDE and Wireless Generation provided Data Liaisons with a flash drive containing the training resources.  District Data Liaisons are encouraged to electronically share the training materials with the educators in their district via a common drive.  Participants in the training should contact the District Data Liaison for access to the materials.
   
• NEW!!   Is each school expected to be implementing the work of the Data Use PD in the same way?
  Hide
  
  No. The training is designed to flexible so that districts and schools are able to implement the work of the Data Use Professional Development Series in a variety of ways.  As part of the initial 3-day training District Data Liaisons and School Data Leadership Teams plan for implementation at each school building, including how and when to turnkey the materials with other teachers.  Wireless Generation’s Taking Action with Data methodology teaches educators a data-source-neutral process to use data to inform instruction, thus allowing educators to access different data sources in their analyses.
   
• NEW!!   Is the training customized?
  Hide
  
  Using the results from the needs assessments, focus groups, and multiple conversations with LEA stakeholders, we have designed the training for Rhode Island educators.  Although the content of the training is finalized before the trainings begin, Data Coaches are able to tailor the delivery of the materials to meet the needs of cohorts, altering the pace, work time, and conversations as needed.  Additionally, the Data Coaches will customize the on-site coaching visits to meet the needs of each school, conferring with the School Data Leadership Team before the visit to maximize time together.
   
• NEW!!   What data sources are available publicly?
  Hide
  
  There are many data sources available publicly on RIDE’s DataWorks! site at www.ride.ri.gov/DataWorks/.  Different data sources include:

  • District- and school-level NECAP results
  • Frequently Requested Educational Data (FRED)
  • InfoWorks!
  • SurveyWorks!
  • Rhode Island Growth Model (RIGM) Visualization Tool
  • RI DataHub

  
   
• Is there Race to the Top funding available for the Data Use Professional Development series?
  Hide
  
  The Data Use Professional Development series is funded through RTTT.
   
• Who should participate on the School Leadership Team?
  Hide
  
  Every building principal will be a member of the School Data Leadership Team (SDLT).  Principals will be joined by three building educators to form a team of four.  At least one of the three building educators should have a flexible schedule and therefore RIDE recommends that one member of the team not be a classroom teacher.  Educators who are passionate about data use, collaboration, and school improvement are great candidates for the School Data Leadership Team.  Guidance is provided to districts and principals on putting together an effective SDLT.  See Resources tab.
   
• How will this work be sustained after the Race to the Top funding is exhausted?
  Hide
  
  By investing in educators at the district and school level and putting structures in place during the year of professional development, schools will be better prepared to maintain the culture of collaboration and data use.  Additionally, the last professional development offering of the year, the Reflection/Planning Workshop, is dedicated to creating sustainability plans so that the culture of data use continues in subsequent years.
   
• Will the training be appropriate for all levels of participants?
  Hide
  
  The training will be tiered to meet the needs of all levels of participants.  The Data Use Professional Development series is designed to meet all participants at their current levels to maximize learning and success of implementation.  Using the results of the needs assessments, each School Data Leadership Team (SDLT) will be assigned to an appropriate tier of training.  The SDLT will join other schools with similar needs in a cohort to ensure that the needs of all data users are being met while participating in the professional development series.
   
• What can I be doing now to prepare for the Data Use Professional Development series?
  Hide
  
  Districts should have already committed to participating in the Data Use Professional Development series in either Year 1 (2012-2013 School Year) or Year 2 (2013-2014 School Year).  If you are unsure of your district’s plan for implementing the Data Use PD Series, please contact Lindsay Wepman at Lindsay.Wepman@ride.ri.gov for more information.
  
  If you have not already done so, districts should identify a district data liaison.  Data liaisons will join a cohort and participate in all training components, owning this work at the district level.  They will be critical to sustaining this work across their districts.  (Note – for larger districts, there may be more than one data liaison selected.)
  
  For Year 1 and Staggered LEAs only:
  
  LEAs should share the School Data Leadership Team guidance document (see Resources tab) with principals in their districts and have principals of Year 1 schools form SDLTs.  Once complete, RIDE will ask participating principals for the names, titles, and email addresses of team members for communication purposes.
  
  LEAs should also confirm with RIDE the August or September training dates no later than Friday, June 15th.  If you have questions or concerns about training dates, we encourage you to contact Dan Costello at dcostello@wgen.net as soon as possible so we may accommodate your needs.
   
• Where will the training occur?
  Hide
  
  The majority of the Data Use Professional Development offerings will take place at a centralized location, preferably at the district level.  Some schools may also have adequate training space on location if a room is not available at the district level.  The 3-day intensive institute, the “just-in-time” professional development workshops, and the planning/reflection workshop will all be held at a designated space with the following characteristics:

  • Capacity for 25 participants plus one trainer
  • At least six tables with adult-sized chairs
  • 1 table for trainer’s equipment, with access to electrical outlet and/or a power strip
  • LCD projector and screen
  • Working Internet access
  • Restrooms
  • A contact person from the location responsible for receiving, storing, and delivering all training materials to the room for each session

  During the on-site visits, data coaches will visit each school in his/her cohort individually three times throughout the school year to facilitate data meetings, provide individual coaching, and/or assist with collecting/analyzing data with the School Data Leadership Team.
   

• NEW!!  On-Site Coaching Guidance (PDF)
• District Data Liaison Webinar
  o  Webinar Recording
  o  Presentation (PDF)
• School Data Leadership Team Webinar
  o  Webinar Recording
  o  Presentation (PDF)
• School Data Leadership Team (SDLT) Guidance Document (PDF)
• District Data Liaison Guidance Document (PDF)
• SDLT Contact Information Form (Excel)

• CAS web site
• The Office of Instruction, Assessment, and Curriculum has released the Comprehensive Assessment System Criteria & Guidance document.
• This guide provides: o   a common understanding of the features of a comprehensive assessment system o   shared language about assessment o   tools for LEAs to deepen assessment literacy among educators o   tools for LEAs to use to take inventory of their current assessment system and plan next steps for refining it Topics addressed by the guide include: o   purpose of assessment o   types of assessment o   considerations for developing and selecting assessments o   interpreting and communicating data o   reliability, validity, and fairness Though specifically aimed at LEA leadership, the guide would also be useful for school administrators, curriculum and assessment directors, and teacher leaders and could serve as a foundation for professional development around assessment.
• In addition to the CAS Criteria & Guidance, RIDE is hosting a series of monthly webinars on developing a comprehensive assessment system and other topics related to assessment.

• IMS web site
• The Rhode Island Instructional Management System (IMS) combines curriculum, assessment, instructional practice tools, and student data for educators and administrators into one online system.  The IMS will make it easier for educators to manage and share lesson planning, improve their formative assessment knowledge and skills, and have access to a guaranteed and viable curriculum.  In addition, the IMS allows educators and other professional staff to create, share, and manage academic and behavioral intervention plans for students.  No other online system brings together such powerful tools to assist educators in raising student achievement in Rhode Island.

• Interim Assessments web site
• The Interim Assessments project will enable districts, schools, and teachers to use and create locally managed interim assessments—a valuable tool to help teachers pinpoint areas of curriculum for which students need additional or adjusted instruction.  The Rhode Island interim assessments, which will be delivered primarily online, will provide rapid turnaround of student results, so that instruction can be changed in real time—a benefit not offered by large-scale, statewide assessments.
  
  The primary purpose of the interim assessments is for instructional planning and monitoring purposes.  Districts and schools should consider the role these assessments could have within their comprehensive assessment system when making decisions about how they will be used and if all students will participate.  The project includes developing a suite of interim assessments, which will be offered on a staggered timeline beginning in November 2012.  All assessments will initially assess mathematics and English language arts content in grades 3-11 and science and social studies in the future.  All mathematics and English language arts content will be developed using the Common Core State Standards.

• RIDE's SLDS web site
• In 2009, RIDE was awarded a 4.67 million dollar federal grant to build and enhance the state's longitudinal data systems.  What this means is that our state has been given the opportunity to connect our information systems from pre-kindergarten through higher education and the into workforce.  By following our students through the education pipeline, we can answer many important questions about schools, programs and the impact they have on the students of Rhode Island.  This initiative involves the entire state - from the school house to the state house.

• Study Gives First Look at Data's Impact on Districts:
  Promising results emerge from study of 59 districts - Report of the study
• Data Quality Campaign:
  The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) is a national, collaborative effort to encourage and support state policymakers to improve the availability and use of high-quality education data to improve student achievement.  The campaign will provide tools and resources that will help states implement and use longitudinal data systems, while providing a national forum for reducing duplication of effort and promoting greater coordination and consensus among the organizations focused on improving data quality, access and use.
• Doing What Works:
  The mission of Doing What Works is to translate research-based practices in practical tools to improve classroom instruction.  Learn more about how to use data and impel improvements at the school and classroom levels.