Data-Based Decision Making:  Resources for Educators
AEL and The Council of Chief State School Officers.  (2001).
http://www.ael.org/dbdm/
This tool provides a step-by-step guide to using data in school improvement.   It provides detailed advice and guidance for the following role groups: policymakers, state team leaders, school team contacts, and technical assistance providers and includes real school stories and action tools that support the creation and functioning of school improvement teams fluent in the use of data to make decisions.

Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
IBM (2002).
http://www.reinventingeducation.org/RE3Web
This toolkit, provided free of charge to anyone working in K-12 education, is designed to help school and district leaders to guide the school reform process.  The toolkit can be used to diagnose an environment for change, collaborate with members of a school change team, read real-life vignettes from education colleagues, plan a change initiative, and connect with educators worldwide.

Sustaining School Improvement:  Professional Development
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.  (2003). 
http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/LeadershipOrganizationDevelopment/5031TG_profdevfolio.pdf
This document outlines the key elements of effective professional development programs, offers strategies that school leadership teams can use when establishing professional development programs, provides a rubric for evaluating professional development within a school and shares a ‘success story’ from Witters/Lucerne Elementary School in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

Using Data to Improve Student Achievement
Maryland Department of Education
http://www.mdk12.org/data/course/index.html
While originally developed for Maryland principals and teachers, this website offers guidance to any school interested in using data to guide their school improvement efforts.  Four learning modules focus on the skills necessary for using data effectively to improve student achievement.  Most valuable to teachers and principals outside of Maryland are Module 3:  “Using School Data to Clarify and Address Your Problem,” and Module 4:  “Using Classroom Data to Monitor Individual Student Progress.”  The site includes sample documents, interviews, worksheets, and data collection templates.

Closing the Achievement Gap:  How Schools are Making it Happen
Rothman, R.  (2001-2002, Winter). Journal of the Annenberg Challenge, 5(2). 
http://www.annenbergchallenge.org/pubs/cj/gap_cj.htm
Five years ago, Lanier Middle School in Houston, Texas was by all accounts succeeding.  With well over 86 percent of their students passing these state tests, few outside of Lanier questioned the school’s performance.  By closely examining their data, however, the Lanier faculty identified wide differences in the performance of many student subgroups in their building.  These differences had been masked by the performance of the magnet students at the school.  This article from the Journal of the Annenberg Challenge outlines Lanier’s efforts to use data to drive their decision-making about instruction and professional development in an attempt to address these differences.

Data-Based Decision Making:  Resources for Educators
AEL and The Council of Chief State School Officers.  (2001).
http://www.ael.org/dbdm/
This tool provides a step-by-step guide to using data in school improvement.   It provides detailed advice and guidance for the following role groups: policymakers, state team leaders, school team contacts, and technical assistance providers and includes real school stories and action tools that support the creation and functioning of school improvement teams fluent in the use of data to make decisions.

Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
IBM (2002).
http://www.reinventingeducation.org/RE3Web
This toolkit, provided free of charge to anyone working in K-12 education, is designed to help school and district leaders to guide the school reform process.  The toolkit can be used to diagnose an environment for change, collaborate with members of a school change team, read real-life vignettes from education colleagues, plan a change initiative, and connect with educators worldwide.

Sustaining School Improvement:  Professional Development
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.  (2003). 
http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/LeadershipOrganizationDevelopment/5031TG_profdevfolio.pdf
This document outlines the key elements of effective professional development programs, offers strategies that school leadership teams can use when establishing professional development programs, provides a rubric for evaluating professional development within a school and shares a ‘success story’ from Witters/Lucerne Elementary School in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

Using Data to Improve Student Achievement
Maryland Department of Education
http://www.mdk12.org/data/course/index.html
While originally developed for Maryland principals and teachers, this website offers guidance to any school interested in using data to guide their school improvement efforts.  Four learning modules focus on the skills necessary for using data effectively to improve student achievement.  Most valuable to teachers and principals outside of Maryland are Module 3:  “Using School Data to Clarify and Address Your Problem,” and Module 4:  “Using Classroom Data to Monitor Individual Student Progress.”  The site includes sample documents, interviews, worksheets, and data collection templates.

Themes in Education:  Action Research
Ferrance, E.  (2000). Themes in Research. Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory.
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf
This booklet introduces the concept of action research, a process of careful reflection on practice that encourages collaboration and allows teachers to address issues that are pertinent to their settings.  It provides an overview of the history of action research, an explanation of a process for completing it, stories from two teachers who have completed action research, and links to additional action research resources.

Closing the Achievement Gap:  How Schools are Making it Happen
Rothman, R.  (2001-2002, Winter). Journal of the Annenberg Challenge, 5(2). 
http://www.annenbergchallenge.org/pubs/cj/gap_cj.htm
Five years ago, Lanier Middle School in Houston, Texas was by all accounts succeeding.  With well over 86 percent of their students passing these state tests, few outside of Lanier questioned the school’s performance.  By closely examining their data, however, the Lanier faculty identified wide differences in the performance of many student subgroups in their building.  These differences had been masked by the performance of the magnet students at the school.  This article from the Journal of the Annenberg Challenge outlines Lanier’s efforts to use data to drive their decision-making about instruction and professional development in an attempt to address these differences.

Data-Driven Decision Making
Education Commission of the States. No Child Left Behind Issue Brief (2002)
http://www.nsba.org/site/docs/9200/9153.pdf
The Education Commission of the States explains how exemplary school districts in California, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, and Texas use data. The authors explain the types of data gathered by the districts and the aspects of teaching and learning that the data informs, such as student placements, professional development, and curriculum. The article also discusses resource allocation and specific district actions to support data use.

Data-Based Decision Making:  Resources for Educators
AEL and The Council of Chief State School Officers.  (2001).
http://www.ael.org/dbdm/
This tool provides a step-by-step guide to using data in school improvement.   It provides detailed advice and guidance for the following role groups: policymakers, state team leaders, school team contacts, and technical assistance providers and includes real school stories and action tools that support the creation and functioning of school improvement teams fluent in the use of data to make decisions.

Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
IBM (2002).
http://www.reinventingeducation.org/RE3Web
This toolkit, provided free of charge to anyone working in K-12 education, is designed to help school and district leaders to guide the school reform process.  The toolkit can be used to diagnose an environment for change, collaborate with members of a school change team, read real-life vignettes from education colleagues, plan a change initiative, and connect with educators worldwide.

Sustaining School Improvement:  Professional Development
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.  (2003). 
http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/LeadershipOrganizationDevelopment/5031TG_profdevfolio.pdf
This document outlines the key elements of effective professional development programs, offers strategies that school leadership teams can use when establishing professional development programs, provides a rubric for evaluating professional development within a school and shares a ‘success story’ from Witters/Lucerne Elementary School in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

Using Data to Improve Student Achievement
Maryland Department of Education
http://www.mdk12.org/data/course/index.html
While originally developed for Maryland principals and teachers, this website offers guidance to any school interested in using data to guide their school improvement efforts.  Four learning modules focus on the skills necessary for using data effectively to improve student achievement.  Most valuable to teachers and principals outside of Maryland are Module 3:  “Using School Data to Clarify and Address Your Problem,” and Module 4:  “Using Classroom Data to Monitor Individual Student Progress.”  The site includes sample documents, interviews, worksheets, and data collection templates.

Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place:  Educators Must Stop Lamenting the Challenges of Accountability and Start Making Improvements
Jerald, C.  (2003, November). Educational Leadership, 61(3), 12-16.
http://snipurl.com/fnpi
This article from Educational Leadership looks at the reality of the “scattershot” curriculum in most schools and examines potential steps that schools can take in order to begin to allow data to drive school reform.  It describes the importance of creating common curriculum goals, learning from student assessment data, and establishing “a culture of problem solving” in schools where practitioners learn from one another.

Themes in Education:  Action Research
Ferrance, E.  (2000). Themes in Research. Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory.
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf
This booklet introduces the concept of action research, a process of careful reflection on practice that encourages collaboration and allows teachers to address issues that are pertinent to their settings.  It provides an overview of the history of action research, an explanation of a process for completing it, stories from two teachers who have completed action research, and links to additional action research resources.

How do School Districts Affect the Quality of Professional Development Provided to Teachers?  Results from a National Sample of Districts
Desimone, L., Porter, A.C., Birman, B.F., Garet, M.S., and Yoon, K.S.  (2002) Teachers College Record, 104(7), 1265-1312.
http://www.tcrecord.org/ExecSummary.asp?ContentID=10979
Based on a study of the professional development practices of over 400 schools nationwide, this report outlines supports necessary to increase the capacity of districts to provide high-quality professional development.  It details the importance of aligning professional development to system standards, using data to drive decision-making, focusing on continuous improvement rather than isolated learning opportunities, and involving teachers in the planning of professional development.

Closing the Achievement Gap:  How Schools are Making it Happen
Rothman, R.  (2001-2002, Winter). Journal of the Annenberg Challenge, 5(2). 
http://www.annenbergchallenge.org/pubs/cj/gap_cj.htm
Five years ago, Lanier Middle School in Houston, Texas was by all accounts succeeding.  With well over 86 percent of their students passing these state tests, few outside of Lanier questioned the school’s performance.  By closely examining their data, however, the Lanier faculty identified wide differences in the performance of many student subgroups in their building.  These differences had been masked by the performance of the magnet students at the school.  This article from the Journal of the Annenberg Challenge outlines Lanier’s efforts to use data to drive their decision-making about instruction and professional development in an attempt to address these differences.

Data-Driven Decision Making
Education Commission of the States. No Child Left Behind Issue Brief (2002)
http://www.nsba.org/site/docs/9200/9153.pdf
The Education Commission of the States explains how exemplary school districts in California, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, and Texas use data. The authors explain the types of data gathered by the districts and the aspects of teaching and learning that the data informs, such as student placements, professional development, and curriculum. The article also discusses resource allocation and specific district actions to support data use.

Data-Based Decision Making:  Resources for Educators
AEL and The Council of Chief State School Officers.  (2001).
http://www.ael.org/dbdm/
This tool provides a step-by-step guide to using data in school improvement.   It provides detailed advice and guidance for the following role groups: policymakers, state team leaders, school team contacts, and technical assistance providers and includes real school stories and action tools that support the creation and functioning of school improvement teams fluent in the use of data to make decisions.

Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
IBM (2002).
http://www.reinventingeducation.org/RE3Web
This toolkit, provided free of charge to anyone working in K-12 education, is designed to help school and district leaders to guide the school reform process.  The toolkit can be used to diagnose an environment for change, collaborate with members of a school change team, read real-life vignettes from education colleagues, plan a change initiative, and connect with educators worldwide.

Sustaining School Improvement:  Professional Development
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.  (2003). 
http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/LeadershipOrganizationDevelopment/5031TG_profdevfolio.pdf
This document outlines the key elements of effective professional development programs, offers strategies that school leadership teams can use when establishing professional development programs, provides a rubric for evaluating professional development within a school and shares a ‘success story’ from Witters/Lucerne Elementary School in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

Using Data to Improve Student Achievement
Maryland Department of Education
http://www.mdk12.org/data/course/index.html
While originally developed for Maryland principals and teachers, this website offers guidance to any school interested in using data to guide their school improvement efforts.  Four learning modules focus on the skills necessary for using data effectively to improve student achievement.  Most valuable to teachers and principals outside of Maryland are Module 3:  “Using School Data to Clarify and Address Your Problem,” and Module 4:  “Using Classroom Data to Monitor Individual Student Progress.”  The site includes sample documents, interviews, worksheets, and data collection templates.

How do School Districts Affect the Quality of Professional Development Provided to Teachers?  Results from a National Sample of Districts
Desimone, L., Porter, A.C., Birman, B.F., Garet, M.S., and Yoon, K.S.  (2002) Teachers College Record, 104(7), 1265-1312.
http://www.tcrecord.org/ExecSummary.asp?ContentID=10979
Based on a study of the professional development practices of over 400 schools nationwide, this report outlines supports necessary to increase the capacity of districts to provide high-quality professional development.  It details the importance of aligning professional development to system standards, using data to drive decision-making, focusing on continuous improvement rather than isolated learning opportunities, and involving teachers in the planning of professional development.

Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place:  Educators Must Stop Lamenting the Challenges of Accountability and Start Making Improvements
Jerald, C.  (2003, November). Educational Leadership, 61(3), 12-16.
http://snipurl.com/fnpi
This article from Educational Leadership looks at the reality of the “scattershot” curriculum in most schools and examines potential steps that schools can take in order to begin to allow data to drive school reform.  It describes the importance of creating common curriculum goals, learning from student assessment data, and establishing “a culture of problem solving” in schools where practitioners learn from one another.

Themes in Education:  Action Research
Ferrance, E.  (2000). Themes in Research. Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory.
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf
This booklet introduces the concept of action research, a process of careful reflection on practice that encourages collaboration and allows teachers to address issues that are pertinent to their settings.  It provides an overview of the history of action research, an explanation of a process for completing it, stories from two teachers who have completed action research, and links to additional action research resources.

Education Program:  Professional Development
National Conference of State Legislatures
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/educ/TProDev.htm
This research brief examines the nature of professional development planning in the United States. It begins with an overview of traditional approaches to professional development and then details current trends in the field.  It then goes on to answer the question, “Whose Responsibility is Quality Professional Development,” by examining the roles of universities, state Departments of Education, local schools and districts, the federal government play in providing professional development.

Data-Driven Decision Making
Education Commission of the States. No Child Left Behind Issue Brief (2002)
http://www.nsba.org/site/docs/9200/9153.pdf
The Education Commission of the States explains how exemplary school districts in California, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, and Texas use data. The authors explain the types of data gathered by the districts and the aspects of teaching and learning that the data informs, such as student placements, professional development, and curriculum. The article also discusses resource allocation and specific district actions to support data use.

Data-Based Decision Making:  Resources for Educators
AEL and The Council of Chief State School Officers.  (2001).
http://www.ael.org/dbdm/
This tool provides a step-by-step guide to using data in school improvement.   It provides detailed advice and guidance for the following role groups: policymakers, state team leaders, school team contacts, and technical assistance providers and includes real school stories and action tools that support the creation and functioning of school improvement teams fluent in the use of data to make decisions.

Improving School Board Decision Making: The Data Connection
Linda Dawson
http://www.schoolboarddata.org/index.htm
This site contains training tools, PowerPoint presentations, and quizzes designed to introduce school board members to using data to make good decisions.  It serves as a valuable resource for communities looking to coordinate the efforts of school board and district level leadership.

How do School Districts Affect the Quality of Professional Development Provided to Teachers?  Results from a National Sample of Districts
Desimone, L., Porter, A.C., Birman, B.F., Garet, M.S., and Yoon, K.S.  (2002) Teachers College Record, 104(7), 1265-1312.
http://www.tcrecord.org/ExecSummary.asp?ContentID=10979
Based on a study of the professional development practices of over 400 schools nationwide, this report outlines supports necessary to increase the capacity of districts to provide high-quality professional development.  It details the importance of aligning professional development to system standards, using data to drive decision-making, focusing on continuous improvement rather than isolated learning opportunities, and involving teachers in the planning of professional development.