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Curriculum and Research Directors' Meeting
USING DATA TO IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN URBAN SCHOOLS
July 16-17, 2009
Avenue Hotel
160 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL
THURSDAY, July 16
Session I: A Collaborative Research Partnership that Works: Milwaukee Public
Schools and the Wisconsin Center for Education Research
This session will describe a research partnership between the Milwaukee Public Schools
and the Value-Added Research Center of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research
focused on the development of an “early-warning” system to identify students at-risk for
negative outcomes such as dropping out of school or performing below proficiency on state
assessments. The presenters will detail the journey they have taken to improve student
acievement by collaborating with one another.
Presenters: Rob Meyer, Senior Scientist and Director
Value-Added Research Center
Wisconsin Center for Education Research
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Cindy Raven, Research Specialist
Assessment and Accountability
Milwaukee Public Schools
Bradley Carl, Embedded Researcher
Wisconsin Center for Education Research
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Session II: From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College
Drawing on analysis of school transcripts, surveys, and postsecondary tracking data to
develop an understanding of how high schools may better prepare students for college
access and success, this session will explore how data can be used to increase the
likelihood that urban high school students will successfully complete high school and make
the transition to post-secondary educational opportunities.
Presenter: Melissa Roderick, Professor and Co-Director
University of Chicago
Consortium on Chicago School Research
Session III: Using Student Performance Data to Inform Instructional Practice:
Lessons from Cincinnati
Cincinnati Public Schools has invested and continues to invest heavily in supporting a data-
intensive environment of data-based decision making to improve teaching and learning. Given
this investment, the district is doing a serious evaluation of the extent to which their
“Dashboard” system is helping them achieve their goal of using student data to improve
instruction and the extent to which Instructional Support Teams are assisting teachers in
this effort.
Presenters: John Tyler, Associate Professor, Brown University
Using Student Performance Data to Inform Instructional Practice
Elizabeth Holtzapple, Director, Research, Evaluation, and Test Administration
Cincinnati Public Schools
Using Student Performance Data to Inform Instructional Practice
Session IV: Regional Educational Laboratories: Key Resources for Research and
Technical Assistance
The Regional Educational Laboratory Program (REL) provides access to high quality
scientifically valid education research through applied research and development projects,
studies and other related technical assistance activities through a network of regional
programs. Representatives from several RELs will be present to discuss their ongoing
research projects, key reports and resources, strategies for sharing, resources, and ways in
which the regional laboratories can meet the needs of urban school districts.
Presenters: Steve Fleischman, Deputy Chief
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL)
Ludwig van Broekhuizen, Executive Director
Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast
FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2009
Session V: Discussion: From Data to Action: Leveraging Stimulus Package Funds
to Improve Student Achievement
During this session we’ll have the opportunity to share challenges and review uses and
action plans for stimulus funds. The discussion will focus on ways to refine these plans to
extend their impact beyond the funding period, and how districts plan to monitor progress
toward achieving project goals. We will provide key questions to consider in the planning
process, and participants can also pose questions about stimulus package rules and
flexibility.
The session will also include a discussion of the Obama administration’s plans to create a
new reading initiative to replace Reading First. The discussion will focus on districts’
experiences with the initial Reading first program, the results districts achieved through the
program, and implications for how a new reading program might be shaped.
Facilitators: Jeff Simering, Director of Legislation
Council of the Great City Schools
Ricki Price-Baugh, Director of Academic Achievement
Council of the Great City Schools
Session VI: Sharing Lessons: Using Data to Improve Student Performance
This session will also include a discussion of the Obama administration’s plans to create a
new reading initiative to replace Reading First. The discussion will focus on districts’
experiences with the initial Reading first program, the results districts achieved through the
program, and implications for how a new reading program might be shaped.
Succeding with English Language Learners: Emerging Themes
Discussion Questions
Session VII: Improving Instruction and Data Use in the Great City Schools: Status
of CGCS Research Projects
In this session, we’ll review two important ongoing Council projects in the area of improved
instruction and use of student data. The first, a three year project funded by the Gates
Foundation, is aimed at improving our understanding of current practice and effective
dimensions of data use to improve student performance in reading, mathematics and
science. The second is the Council’s ongoing study of successful English Language
Learner reforms in selected member districts.
Council staff will detail the goals and objectives for each of these projects, as well as
implications of the research findings for the use of data and data-driven instruction to
improve student performance.
Presenters: Jason Snipes, Director of Research
Council of the Great City Schools
Ricki Price-Baugh, Director of Academic Achievement
Council of the Great City Schools
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