Tennessee recognized for education data collecting methods
The following article reprinted from the Chattanooga Times highlights the need for education leaders to make better decisions about improving education through the use of accurate data. According to the Data Quality Campaign, a Washington, D.C.-based collaborative that encourages state lawmakers to better collect and use educational data, Tennessee is one of only 11 states to have completed all the collaborative’s 10 key elements of a high-quality student data system.
Dec. 5, 209
by Kelli Gauthier, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Tennessee education officials always are quick to pat themselves on the back for the sophisticated way they track students’ test scores, graduation progress and other data, and a national group recently validated their methods.
According to Data Quality Campaign, a Washington, D.C.-based collaborative that encourages state lawmakers to better collect and use educational data, Tennessee is one of only 11 states to have completed all the collaborative’s 10 key elements of a high-quality student data system.
The nonpartisan collaborative, which formed in 2005, is getting more attention these days, because using data effectively is one of the four main ways in which U.S. Department of Education officials will determine which states receive a cut of the $4 billion in Race to the Top stimulus funding.
In fact, officials in any state whose governor agreed to take federal stimulus funds also agreed to fulfill all 10 of the collaborative’s key elements by 2011, said Bi Vuong, a senior associate with the campaign. Some of the essential elements include collecting student-level test data and student-level graduation and dropout data.
Tennessee is ahead of the curve in terms of data use, said Kirk Kelly, Hamilton County Schools’ director of accountability and testing. Unlike many states, Tennessee has a rich mine of value-added data, which tracks individual students’ academic progress year-to-year.
Hamilton County is recognized for its use of data, as well, said Dr. Kelly, who recently was asked to speak at a national conference.
“We’ve done some stuff that’s a little bit proactive, even for Tennessee,” he said.
Dr. Kelly said the purpose of much of his data collecting is to head off possible problems. For instance, he’ll look at patterns of previous dropouts — students who are overage by grade, struggling on standardized tests or having poor attendance — and tell teachers to target them for interventions.
“We’re creating models to predict what may possibly occur, to maybe offset it before it happens,” he said. “If there’s a likelihood that a student will be in trouble or struggle, we let teachers know before the school year starts.”
Kara Seebach, a high school counselor at East Hamilton School, said Dr. Kelly’s office provides her with a highly individualized picture of each student she advises, complete with information such as their age, grades, how many credits they have attempted and failed and whether the student is on track to graduate on time.
“Instead of taking so much time reviewing transcripts, I can just look in one place,” she said. “I can prioritize who I need to get to first.”
While the data typically is used to identify struggling students, Ms. Seebach said she also uses it to see which students are doing well, in an attempt to recreate the success.
DATA QUALITY CAMPAIGN
This national collaborative is funded through organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Lumina Foundation for Education and the Pew Charitable Trusts. The collaborative provides tools and resources to help states institute systems to track education data. Each year the campaign releases a statewide survey showing states’ progress. To learn more, visit www.dataqualitycampaign.org.
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