The Information Edge
Using data to accelerate achievement
May 4, 2006
- 91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ How 91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ Week Graded the StatesFor the Technology Leaders section of Technology Counts 2006, the EPE Research Center collected data on 14 indicators covering three major areas of state technology policy and practice: access, use, and capacity.Assessment Tracking U.S. TrendsBesides updating key statistics, Technology Counts for the first time assigns letter grades to the states on leadership in three core areas of technology policy and practice: access, use, and capacity.College & Workforce Readiness Rising to a ChallengeA vocational-technical school turns to data to help students succeed on high-stakes exams.Federal ‘National Effort’While most of the action on data is at the state and district levels, the federal government is playing a role, too.Classroom Technology Risk & RewardBoth businesses and school districts face risks as they navigate an emerging and highly competitive market for data tools.Federal Delving Into DataStates and districts are beginning to build digital data systems that can drive decisions in the classroom and the boardroom.Accountability Tip of Their FingersTeachers in Philadelphia can tap into an array of student-level information from a districtwide data system.91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ About the EPE Research Center’s Annual State Technology SurveyTo assess state policy and practice in education technology, the EPE Research Center surveyed the chief state technology officials in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.Ed-Tech Policy The Information EdgeThe federal No Child Left Behind Act has touched off a boom in school data collection. As a matter of necessity, states and school districts have responded to the 4-year-old law’s testing, teacher-quality, and accountability demands with major initiatives to upgrade their systems for collecting, managing, and analyzing electronic data.School & District Management District InitiativeDrawing on lessons from the corporate arena, a school district in California consolidated and made accessible its trove of data well ahead of the curve.School & District Management Voices of ExperienceDistrict leaders developing school data initiatives can learn from those who have gone before.Federal Aware of All StudentsA well-off district uses data to shine a spotlight on its segment of struggling learners.States Keeping TrackDecades in the making, Florida's system stands out nationally for its use of student data to influence policy and practice.91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ Funding Finding the FundingA small district gets help from a company founded by former educators.Equity & Diversity Monthly CheckupsA new principal works with teachers to get the most out of a district's benchmark assessments.91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ A Washington Roundup Literacy Conference setFirst lady Laura Bush last week announced plans for a Conference on Global Literacy, to be held in September in New York City. Sponsors will be the departments of 91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ and State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the United Nations 91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵal, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.