This report presents a question-driven exploration of growth and achievement data using SAS EVAAS reports. The purpose of this exploration was to bring additional data, information, and ways of thinking about student growth to ongoing district conversations about the measurement of campus-level student growth.

Few teachers receive adequate preparation to provide effective individualized instruction for children with intensive early writing needs. In this article, the authors describe an attempt to close this learning gap, by developing Data-Based Instruction-Tools, Learning, and Collaborative Support (DBI-TLC), a comprehensive professional development…

This mixed-method study examined the impact of an online formative assessment tool on the language and early literacy skills development of 204 3-4-year-old children enrolled in Head Start. Twenty-four classroom and children participated in a two-group randomized control trial, in which classrooms in the treatment condition implemented weekly…

Although education is in many ways a responsibility of states and localities, the U.S. federal government also has an important role to play. National laws, court rulings, and policy guidance help ensure that English Learner (EL) and immigrant-background students have equitable access to a meaningful education. It is then up to states and school…

In 2013, national education groups representing principals, school-employed mental health professionals, and school resource officers developed "A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools" (ED612657) to provide a common set of recommendations for policies and practices that create and sustain safe, supportive learning environments. The…

Data governance provides state agencies a structure in which to define the roles and responsibilities needed to ensure clear processes for collecting and reporting education data and to ensure accountability for data quality and security. To make informed policy decisions across agencies, such as the state education agency and early childhood,…

The concept of data based decision making has been in the forefront of educational reform for decades. Despite the fact that data could better inform the educational decisions teachers make, some educators lack understanding of data and assessment. This could lead to misinterpretation and poor use of the scores. The purpose of this literature…

In summer 2018, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) was signed into law, which provided states the opportunity to reflect, engage with a wide array of stakeholders and partners, reaffirm key priorities and commitments, and identify new opportunities to support learners and their industry partners.…

Changing demographics in schools around the world have raised questions about the nature and role of gifted education programs. An intense interest in the underrepresentation of students from low-income families and minority groups in gifted education programs has caused the field to re-examine both identification and services. In this article,…

Historically, students with disabilities graduate from high school at lower rates than peers without disabilities. As a result, many students with disabilities also have poor postsecondary or adult outcomes, such as unemployment or employment in lowpaying jobs. This state spotlight presents strategies the West Virginia Department of Education…

While discussion protocols can provide helpful structures for conversations about data and other collaborative work, some drawbacks have been noted; for example, protocols can preclude discussion about important topics that are not within the scope of the protocol. Prior research has not yet explored how educators' personal identities and…

School districts (local education agencies) in the United States are charged with many responsibilities, by law and by custom. The most important is responsibility for assuring schools and teachers have the support they need to provide consistent, high quality, and effective education to promote student learning for all students every year.…

Reform in educational policy and federal legislation has placed an emphasis on data collection pertaining to student outcomes in the academic setting. In response, school systems have shifted to multi-tiered frameworks that utilize varying levels of support through the implementation of evidence-based interventions. Data-based decision making…

Reforms of the size and scale to which Race to the Top States have committed, require unprecedented planning, oversight and problem solving to implement. Although many factors influence the outcomes of these reform efforts, performance management is a key structural element in realizing "sustainable reforms" that are durable and…

The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) supports research that contributes to the identification of effective strategies for improving the performance of current teachers and other instructional personnel, and related services providers in ways that increase student learning and achievement, social and behavioral skills, and…