American Association of School Administrators - Bulletin: A Supplement to the School Administrator

School Administrator, June, 2002

AASA on the Hill

IDEA

AASA President-Elect John Lawrence, superintendent of the 5,000-student Troy, Mo., School District, spoke at a House Education and Workforce subcommittee hearing in April to promote congressional full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

"Public education is a work in progress," Lawrence said. "The part you don't see is how hard teachers and principals are working to provide the schools that our country expects and that students deserve within the constraint of taxpayers often unwilling to spend one cent more than necessary."

Lawrence urged Congress to elevate the federal funding share for special education to 40 percent "as soon as possible," to strengthen the law's state maintenance of effort language and to work to bring federal resources such as Medicaid funding to the table to help share special education costs not related to instruction or curriculum.

Lawrence told the panel that full federal funding for IDEA is AASA's top legislative priority in 2002.

No Child Left Behind Act

Lew Finch, superintendent of the 18,000-student Cedar Rapids, Iowa, School District, testified in April on behalf of AASA at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing examining teacher recruitment and retention. Finch urged subcommittee members to ensure sustained federal support for implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act.

"If we're really serious about leaving no child behind, we must provide the resources necessary to attract and retain competent employees and fund ongoing professional development," Finch said.

Finch urged the Appropriations panel to ensure the successful implementation of the education act by providing sufficient funding for assessment and accountability, financial resources for teacher training and preparation, multiple indicators of effectiveness and incentives for teachers and administrators willing to work in schools serving the neediest children.

* * *

To find out more about what these and other AASA members and staff have been doing on Capitol Hill recently, log on to www.aasa.org and click on Newsroom or Government Relations.

Let AASA's Center for Accountability Solutions Get Your District Started with Data-Driven Decision Making

AASA's Center for Accountability Solutions works with states, school districts and education organizations to develop and deliver effective education technology programs tailored to clients' needs. GAS is currently offering the following on-site and regional data-driven decision making workshops.

ON-SITE TRAINING FOR YOUR DISTRICT

Introduction to Data-Driven Decision Making (one-day workshop)

This workshop covers:

* analysis and interpretation of performance data

* evaluating district data elements

* selecting appropriate indicators of student achievement

* accountability planning

* creating a culture of data-driven inquiry

* gathering, interpreting and disaggregating data to support and drive district improvement efforts

The workshop includes large- and small-group discussion and time for participants to reflect and develop an implementation plan.

The workshop also demonstrates Quality School Portfolio (QSP), a free decision support system developed by The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing (GRESST). QSP enables districts to disaggregate data to focus interventions and resources where they are most needed, meet reporting requirements and support accountability efforts.

Tuition: $3,000 plus travel expenses for one trainer

Number of Participants: Limited to 60 participants

Data-Driven Decision Making and Hands-On QSP (two-day workshop)

This workshop provides participants with hands-on training in Quality School Portfolio (QSP), a free decision support system developed by The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing (GRESST). QSP enables districts to disaggregate data to focus interventions and resources where they are most needed, meet reporting requirements and support accountability efforts.

Topics include:

* analysis and interpretation of performance data

* evaluating district data elements

* selecting appropriate indicators of student achievement

* accountability planning

* creating a culture of data-driven inquiry

* gathering, interpreting and disaggregating data to support and drive district improvement efforts.

The workshop includes large- and small-group discussion and time for participants to reflect and develop an implementation plan.

After completing the two-day training, participating districts will receive two free hours of telephone and technical support from AASA as they implement data-driven decision making and QSP. Site visits by qualified AASA staff are available for an additional fee.

Tuition: $4,000 plus travel expenses for two trainers

Number of Participants: Limited to 30 participants

Facilities: This hands-on workshop requires one computer running Windows 98, ME, 2000 or XP per participant in a lab or classroom setting.

Regional training.

In addition to on-site training, AASA is presenting the two-day Data-Driven Decision Making and Hands-On Quality School Portfolio workshop at the following locations: