Good morning from Rain soaked Boston.  One area that we use data to
improve literacy services in our program is looking at attendance data.
In Massachusetts, we have a DOE web based system that allows us to view
class attendance data, as well as other pertinent data that gives us
tools to improve literacy services.  I review the data and look at each
individual class to see how attendance is.  If attendance is low one
month I then review what happened.  For example: Was there inclement
weather? Or have any natural disasters occurred in homelands of
students? Was the teacher absent for a period of time? If yes, I know
that is an outside factor.  But if I see that attendance is low for more
than a month, I investigate.  Ask the program advisor to review calls to
students when absent to find out the reasons given for dropping out and
share the student feedback with the teacher and ask for her/his opinion.
If the overriding case involves students feeling lost over what is being
taught, the teacher opens discussion about the lessons and works with
the students on the topics.  Students feel empowered in their learning
and attendance improves.

Toni 

 

Toni F. Borge

Adult Education & Transitions Program Director

Bunker Hill Community College

Chelsea Campus

175 Hawthorne Street

Chelsea, MA  02150

Phone: 617-228-2108   *  Fax:617-228-2106

E-mail: tborge at bhcc.mass.edu

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that
matter." Martin Luther King Jr.

________________________________

From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Marie Cora
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 7:29 AM
To: Assessment at nifl.gov
Subject: [Assessment 710] Using Data for Program Improvement begins
today!

 

Good morning, afternoon and evening to you all.  

 

Today begins our discussion on Using Data for Program Improvement.  I
have pasted the announcement below - please note that there have been
some edits to Guest bios.  Also, I am trying to send 4 attachments (they
are power points) but I'm having a tough time getting them through the
server.  For now, you have the announcement below and as soon as I
arrange access to the Power Points, I'll let you know.  If you received
the original announcement that I sent, you have one of the attachments
already ("Using Data Effectively DCornellier").  Thank you for your
patience with this.

 

Also, I would like to acknowledge that today is Patriot's Day and is
celebrated in many corners of the United States.  Some of our guests, as
well as subscribers, may not be present on-line with us today and this
is fine - they will catch up with us tomorrow.  For anyone ready to
begin, please feel free to post your messages.

 

I'll start us off by asking our guests to briefly describe how they use
data in their work to improve literacy services.  Subscribers, please
post your questions and share your own experiences using data.  What
type of data would you like to track and why?

 

Thanks!

 

Marie Cora

Assessment Discussion List Moderator

 

**********

Discussion Announcement 

Dear Colleagues, 

I'm pleased to announce the following Panel Guest Discussion, which will
be held during the week of April 16 - 20.

Topic: Using Data for Program Improvement 

Guests will discuss the work they have done in using data to improve the
quality of adult literacy programming.  We will hear about the use of
data in small and large programs, as well as at the state and national
levels.  Panelists are interested in your questions and eager to hear
about your use of data, as well as share their own experiences, so
please ask questions and share your stories.  

Recommended preparations for this discussion 

Please use the following guiding questions to help you share how you use
data in your program (or classroom), or how you would like to:

 

*	Do you use data in your program?  What type?  How?  What have
been the results?
*	What information (data) would you like to track and why?  
*	What data would you like to learn how to use?

 

Resources of interest:

 

Using Data Effectively by Donna Cornellier:  see attached Power Point
Presentation.

This PowerPoint outlines a basic framework for identifying, using, and
monitoring data; excellent guiding questions are provided as well as a
case study for practicing the application of the framework.

 

 

Developing & Disseminating Report Cards, Report Card Rubric, Rolling Out
the Report Card.   See attached Power Point Presentations from
University of the State of New York, State Education Department and the
Literacy Assistance Center (LAC).  These presentations outline the
development of a Report Card for measuring the performance of literacy
programming within the state of NY.  A detailed look at scoring the
elements of program performance is provided; presenters also review
their process for informing/ working with stakeholders on the use of
report cards, and report on the first year results of the initiative.

 

 

NRS Publications on data

http://www.nrsweb.org/pubs/

This site has a wealth of resources including the NRS Implementation
Guidelines; NRS Tips offering information on building data systems, and
setting goals and standards; and  Training Guides that provide practical
information and tools that can be used to build and use data systems
effectively.    

 

 

Learning to be an NRS Data Detective

http://www.nrsweb.org/reports/StateDataDetectives.aspx

This training explores how an effective data detective: 

*	Understands the process and psychology of data collection;
*	Examines data including assessment, goal setting, and follow-up
data;
*	Asks further questions of the data; and

*         Makes changes in processes and policies to improve data
quality and program services.

 

NRS State and Local Report Cards

http://www.nrsweb.org/reports/insights/report_cards.aspx

Report cards can be a powerful and effective tool for accountability and
program improvement if properly used and implemented. There are many
types of report cards, but for the purposes of NRS, our focus is on
report cards that assess performance. Report cards that allow meaningful
evaluation have the following characteristics: 

*         Include outcome and other data,

*         Provide a basis for evaluation of that data, and

*         Present contextual data or interpretive information that aid
interpretation and promote understanding.

Report cards can be used in several different ways to 

*         Evaluate program quality,

*         Promote program improvement, and

*	Inform and advocate for the program.

 

Guest Participants: 

Toni Borge is the director of the Adult Education & Transitions Program
at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, Massachusetts. She has a
master's degree in educational administration. Toni is a member of the
TESOL task force that is advising the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, Office of Citizenship, on redesigning the citizenship test
that is being piloted in 2007.  In May, Toni will present a TESOL
Virtual Seminar entitled "Assessment and Learning: Balancing Program
Performance and Instruction" in which she will discuss effective ways to
manage and balance instruction to meet state and national performance
standards.

 

Dr. Larry Condelli is a managing director of the Adult Education and
Literacy Program in the Education and Human Development Division at the
American Institutes for Research. His work includes research on adult
ESL students, accountability, and conducting professional development
and technical assistance for adult educators. He recently directed the
What Works Study for Adult ESL Literacy Students, the first large-scale
empirical study of the effectiveness of instructional practices for
adult ESL

students, and is currently directing a study of the impact of explicit
literacy instruction on low-literate adult ESOL learners for the U.S.
Department of Education.  He is also the project director for the
National Reporting System and was instrumental in developing this
national accountability system for federally funded adult education and
literacy program. Dr. Condelli's other projects include development of a
performance-based reading assessment for low-literate adults for the
National Assessment of Adult Literacy, funded by the National Center for
Educational Statistics. He is a staff development and data consultant
for the states of Alabama, California, Georgia and Utah and provides
training and technical assistance to adult education staff in several
states. Dr. Condelli holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of
California.

 

Donna Cornellier is the Project Manager for the student level data
system in Massachusetts.  In this role, her responsibilities include
managing the System for Managing Accountability and Results Through
Technology (SMARTT) development team; designing NRS training materials,
and providing training and technical assistance to the local programs on
using NRS data for program improvement. Presentations included how
assessment data is tracked in the student level database and what
reports are available to help programs implement the NRS policies.
Formerly she was the Director of a local ABE program in Massachusetts.
She holds a Masters degree in Educational Leadership and Management.

 

Ajit Gopalakrishnan is an Education Consultant with the Connecticut
State Department of Education's Bureau of Early Childhood, Career and
Adult Education. He manages adult education projects in the areas of
statewide assessment, data management, program accountability, and
technology.

 

Rosemary I. Matt has recently been appointed to the newly developed
position of NRS Liaison for New York State, under the direction of the
Literacy Assistance Center in New York City.  In this role, her
responsibilities include NRS training, data management, and desk
monitoring of all New York State programs.  Prior to this position,
Rosemary has been in education throughout her career, first as a
secondary education mathematics teacher for fifteen years and then as
the director of the New York State staff development consortium in the
mid state.  

 

Karen Mundie has been an adult education professional for over thirty
years. She is the associate director of the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy
Council, a large community-based education organization (42 professional
staff members, 550 volunteers, and 2000 students). She is also the
director of the Southwest Professional Development Center, where she was
the lead trainer in the area of using data for decision-making for three
years.  Karen is a past president of the Pennsylvania Association for
Adult and Continuing Education (PAACE) and was Pennsylvania's
Outstanding Adult Educator for 2005. She holds two masters' degrees from
the University of Virginia. 

Joanie Rethlake, native Texan, is the state director for adult education
for Texas LEARNS, the state office for adult education in Houston, Texas
and has responsibility for administering the state's adult education
program and directing the technical assistance and professional
development offered to adult education and family literacy programs
across Texas.  Formerly, she was the director of adult education at
Harris County Department of Education and past president of the Texas
Association for Literacy and Adult Education (TALAE). 

Sandy Strunk is Program Director for Community Education at Lancaster
Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13. In this role, she provides leadership for
several educational programs including Adult Basic Education, the Adult
Education Southeast Professional Development Center, Early Reading
First, English as a Second Language, Family Literacy, Head Start, Organ
and Tissue Donation Awareness Education and Workforce Education. Sandy
has been an adult education practitioner for over twenty years. She is a
past president of the PA Association for Adult Continuing Education,
provided leadership to Pennsylvania's adult education program
improvement training system for six years (1997 - 2003) and continues to
provide leadership for Pennsylvania's family literacy program
improvement initiative (SEQUAL). She serves on the advisory board of the
Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy and is particularly
interested in educational interventions that focus on the family unit.
Sandy has a B.S. in education from Lock Haven University and a M.Ed. in
Training and Development from Penn State University.

 

Luanne Teller is the Director of Massasoit Community College's Stoughton
ABE (ESOL) and Transitions to College Programs.  She was involved in
establishing and developing of both programs.  Prior to these positions,
she was the Coordinator of an Office Skills Job Training Program, which
provided employment skills training to empower women to transition off
of public assistance into full-time careers.  She holds a degree in
secondary education (French and Spanish).  She has served on a variety
of board and committees, as both a volunteer and elected official.  She
is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Plymouth
County United Way.  She has extensive experience using research data and
communicating with a wide range of constituencies to develop effective
program plans, and to promote the commitment to continuous improvement.

 

 

Marie Cora

marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com <mailto:marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com> 

NIFL Assessment Discussion List Moderator

http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/assessment

Coordinator, LINCS Assessment Special Collection

http://literacy.kent.edu/Midwest/assessment/

 

 

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