Direct Access to Achievement

A pair of training events are aimed at helping instructional teams make the most of their data.

Douglas ESD is hosting its second annual Common Formative Assessment training Feb. 21-22 in Roseburg. The two-day seminar will help participants improve their assessment literacy, as well as provide them with some valuable tools to take home: a first-draft Common Formative Assessment (CFA); familiarity with tools and techniques that improve CFA quality; and an appreciation of  how the CFA process improves instruction for all students. The cost is $50 per participant--free to districts served by Douglas ESD. Register by Feb. 10 by clicking HERE. To download the flier, click HERE.

Lane ESD is planning a training on TIPS, Team-Initiated Problem Solving, on May 10 and 11. The Feb. 9 session is intended for data teams and their leaders, with the following day reserved for the coaches or leaders who attended the first session. The cost is $25 per participant--free to districts served by Lane ESD. Register by clicking HERE. To download the flier, click HERE.

The Direct Access to Achievement Project has been featured in several national publications recently. An article in Governing magazine, "States Lead Effort to Utilize Data in Education," mentions Oregon as a state taking "great strides" in the push toward harnessing data to improve instruction and policy. Read the entire article HERE.

In Converge, a national educational technology magazine, writer Tanya Roscorla explores the project in depth, talking to state officials as well as participants in the DATA Project at the school level. Click here to read the article.

Updated Jan. 31
The Direct Access to Achievement (DATA) Project conducted a webinar on Tuesday, Jan. 24, that examined the findings of the Oregon DATA Project evaluation. The webinar, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., was conducted by Denise Airola of Responsive Education Services; a recoding is available HERE. This webinar is one of six scheduled this school year, on topics ranging from advanced data team skills to the Oregon Diploma. The webinars are sponsored by the Oregon DATA Project, and presented by participants in the project. Click HERE  for connection information and a downloadable schedule. 

Updated Oct. 24
More than 60 teachers and administrators gathered in Portland on Oct. 24 and 25 to participate in the Direct Access to Achievement Project's two-day certification session. A similar session in the Medford area earlier in the month drew 50 educators from Southern Oregon. Attendees participated in an online study group course to prepare for the training. Participants who successfully complete the two-day course become certified trainers for the Oregon DATA Project, enabling them to support the work of data teams in their district. The Oregon DATA Project has certified more than 400 trainers through the rigorous training. 

A recording is now available of a national webinar featuring  the Oregon DATA Project and two participating districts, Redmond and Oregon City, where creating a culture for data use is taking hold. The webinar was held as part of a series by the School Turnaround Learning Community on "Using Data for Effective Turnaround." To listen to the 90-minute session, click HERE.

Updated Aug. 10
Today's elementary students will retire around the year 2065 -- what will prepare them for a world we cannot imagine? The bottom line, says Dr. Rick Stiggins, is that all students must become lifelong learners. Stiggins, president of Assessment Training Institute in Portland, served as keynote speaker for the 2011 ODE/COSA Oregon Summer Assessment Institute in Eugene.

The Institute, which opened Wednesday, Aug. 3, drew about 550 educators from throughout the state for its three-day run. "We have districts here that came over in a bus so their entire administrative team could attend," said ODE's Mickey Garrison in her welcoming remarks. "They worked all the way up and they'll work all the way home, too--that's dedication!"

Updated Aug. 2
More than 30 people attended the Direct Access to Achievement-sponsored session for coaches on Tuesday, Aug. 1, in Eugene. "Working to Stop What Stops the Work," conducted by Patty Parnell of Linn-Benton-Lincoln ESD, served as a pre-session for the annual Summer Assessment Institute, which begins Wednesday, Aug. 3.

On Tuesday afternoon, Rachel Wente-Chaney of High Desert ESD conducted a hands-on training for the DATA Project's Toolkit for Accountability, a Google-based suite of accountability tools. A team from the U.S. Department of Education was on hand to meet coaches and hear first hand about the effects of the Oregon DATA Project, which is funded by a federal grant.

Posted July 15
The Oregon Department of Education has had several opportunities lately to contribute to the resources available to states receiving Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) grants from the Institute of Education Sciences.

Posted July 15
ODE recently hosted a three-member team from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) who came to Oregon to learn about the Direct Access to Achievement Project. Under their SLDS grant, Kansas is embarking on a data use training initiative similar to Oregon's to educate and empower educators to use data to improve instruction. "We are huge supporters of the Oregon DATA Project and feel fortunate to be able to work directly with Mickey Garrison and her colleagues," says Kateri Grillot, senior trainer for KSDE. "We were specifically interested to learn how the project was constructed and modified over time to meet the needs of educators." During their two-day visit on July 13-14, the Kansas team met at ODE to discuss data issues, talk to Oregon DATA Project personnel, and develop a 100-day plan of action to take back with them. The visit is courtesy of the Personnel Exchange Network, a U.S. Department of Education-sponsored program that provides travel funds so organizations can share knowledge about education data issues.

Updated May 19
Nearly 200 teachers around Oregon rolled up their sleeves recently to better understand the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Writing. The Strand 4 training from Direct Access to Achievement, “Essential Skills in Writing: Impact on Teaching and Learning,” took place May 17-18. A third day, May 19, was reserved for school teams to polish up their implementation plan.

Participants are using the CCSS to look at standards that are already in place, as well as changes to standards that will affect their instruction. They will use this information to critically assess their approach to the essential skill of writing. Participants created one of two things: a curriculum map for at least one grade level, or a K-12 district assessment calendar.

The training was broadcast from Clackamas ESD, which hosted 55 participants, to seven ESDs and about 120 participants around the state. Malheur ESD in Ontario had more than 50 people attending, with about a dozen each at Douglas, Lane, Lake County, Harney County, High Desert and Umatilla Morrow ESDs.

The Oregon DATA Project training is one of the resources, services and support that ODE is providing to the field on the Common Core State Standards.

Teachers at Malheur ESD use the new Common Core State Standards to create a curriculum map where they will answer these three questions: what are my standards; how will I assess students on these standards; and what are the resources I need?