Data Newsletter - Summer 2005
Thank you for visiting our website, www.3d2know.org and requesting information about CoSN's Data-driven Decision Making Initiative: Vision to Know and Do. This newsletter is part of an ongoing series of periodic updates that you will be receiving. I hope that this information is of interest and welcome your comments and suggestions. Please contact Irene Spero, Vice President, CoSN, at irene@cosn.org. Thanks.
OVER 1, 000 DISTRICTS COMPLETE DATA SELF ASSESSMENT TOOL
As part of the Data-driven Decision Making initiative, CoSN is providing districts with a free tool to determine their readiness to use data-driven decision making for both accountability and continuous school improvement. We are pleased to report that over 1,020 school districts have completed this self assessment.
If you have not done so already, spend a few minutes taking the self assessment and receive a quick calculation of the results. What better way than this to continue the process of using data effectively and determining where you are in the process of becoming a data rich district. The self assessment is available at http://3d2know.cosn.org/assessment/survey.cfm
REGISTER NOW FOR JUNE 1ST WEBCAST ON HOW DISTRICTS USE DATA TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
June 1, 2005
1:00 - 2:00 PM. EST
This webcast will highlight the recently released paper, From Vision to Action: How School Districts Use Data to Improve Performance. The paper is the latest resource developed through CoSN's Data-driven Decision Making Initiative, Vision to Know and Do. Through in-depth interviews with successful practitioners, the report focuses on the implementation and outcomes of the data-driven decision making process. Specific areas to be covered include examples of how educators are using data to inform decisions about instruction and operations to improve student learning and organizational effectiveness; the importance of leadership; and staffing and structure for effective data-driven decision making implementation.
Irene Spero, CoSN Vice President and Project Director, Data-driven Decision Making Initiative (Moderator)
Karen Greenwood Henke, author, From Vision to Action
Donna Snodgrass, Director of Classroom Assessment, Department of Research and Information, Cleveland Municipal School District, OH
Katie Lovett, Chief Information Officer, Fulton County Schools, GA
To register go to http://www.cosn.org/events/webcasts/register.cfm
COMING SOON: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DATA DRIVEN DECISION MAKING
CoSN will be making some changes to the Data-driven Decision Making website, www.3d2know.org. In the near future, we will be posting a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) as a resource for visitors to the site.
To make this a meaningful and useful resource, we want to make sure that the questions posted on the site are the ones most important to you. Here are some questions that we plan to include:
If you have suggestions about other questions to add, please let me know. Thank you for your assistance.
SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR THE 2006 COSN CONFERENCE
The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) will be holding its 11th Annual K-12 School Networking Conference on March 6 & 7, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel inArlington, VA (near Washington, DC). The conference theme is "Measuring the VALUE of Education Technology."
We are soliciting presentations for this important national conference focused on the ways the Internet and information technologies can improve teaching and learning in the K-12 classroom. Proposals on "The use of data: Does data-based decision making lead to learning transformation? " are encouraged. The full list of topics is listed below. Submission deadline is July 15, 2005.
Technology is transforming the world and profoundly impacting K-12 education. Schools are under ever increasing pressure to demonstrate accountability and increase student achievement. And, we all know that technology requires resources. But what is the benefit - or the return on our investment? Can technology be the catalyst to launch real reform and true transformation in our schools? How would we measure the value of the investment when the educational goal is student achievement?
At CoSN's 11th Annual School Networking Conference, school technology leaders and decision makers will examine the educational value of technology. In addition, the conference will explore how visionary leaders use this information to drive decision making and communicate to the community and other stakeholders.
The conference program will focus on:
Submissions should be of high interest and relevance to the intended conference participants (key district, state and national technology leaders) and correlate to the conference theme/focus. In addition presentation submissions should provide "cutting edge" and practical "how to" information.
Submit a proposal at www.k12schoolnetworking.org/index.cfm and share your leadership experiences, obstacles to integrating emerging technologies and your vision for the future of the Internet and technology use in the classroom.
About the Data-driven Decision Making Initiative
The goals of the Data-driven Decision Making Initiative are to:
Data-driven Decision Making: Vision to Know and Do is made possible through the generous support of Educational Testing Service (www.ets.org), IBM (www.ibm.com; NYSE: IBM), SAS (www.sas.com and www.sasinschool.com), PLATO Learning (www.plato.com), Dell (www.dell.org), Pearson School Systems (www.pearsonschoolsystems.com), Co-nect (www.co-nect.com), PowerSchool (www.apple.com/education/powerschool), SchoolNet (www.schoolnet.com) and Texas Instruments (education.ti.com). Scholastic Administr@tor (www.scholasticadministrator.com) is the media partner for the project.
About CoSN
The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), a national non-profit organization, is the premier voice in education technology leadership. Our mission is to advance the K-12 education community's capacity to effectively use technology to improve learning through advocacy, policy and l eadership development. Our members represent school districts, state and local education agencies, nonprofits, companies and individuals who share our vision. To learn how membership in CoSN can make a difference in your district, click on www.cosn.org/join or contact us at either membership@cosn.org or 866/267-8747 x115.
Other CoSN Initiatives
Accessible Technologies for All Students Project is a major new leadership initiative of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). The goal of this initiative is increased achievement and success for all students through the unlimited and effective use of accessible technologies. For further information go to www.accessibletech4all.org
Taking Total Cost of Ownership to the Classroom (TCO) is designed to help school leaders understand the range of costs associated with purchasing and maintaining technology within a school district. As part of the TCO project, CoSN provides the CoSN-Gartner TCO Tool, which enables administrators to easily assess TCO for their school district. Learn more at www.classroomtco.org.
Cyber Security for the Digital District is designed to provide education technology leaders and policy-makers with strategies and tools they can use to ensure the privacy of data and the safe operation of technology within their school systems. Learn more at www.securedistrict.org.
Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse enables educators to understand technical and non-technical options for Internet safety in schools. The project includes a range of information, checklists and resources, plus a complete Toolkit to guide school officials when they talk to parents and other community members about online safety issues. Learn more at www.safewiredschools.org.
CoSN's Chief Technology Officers (CTO) Council provides professional development and networking opportunities for district-level technology directors. The CTO Council meets three times a year at national education conferences. Learn more at www.cosn.org/resources/cto_council/.
The CoSN Compendium is an annual "must-read" for K-12 technology leaders. For more information, please visit www.cosn.org/resources/compendium/.
CoSN's Internet & Education Webcasts are 60-minute interactive professional development forums conducted via the Internet and designed specifically from a district technology perspective. To see the lineup for 2004-2005 or to register for a webcast, visit www.cosn.org/events/webcasts/.
You are receiving this e-newsletter because you visited www.3d2know.org and requested information about CoSN's Data-driven Decision Making Initiative: Vision to Know and Do. This newsletter is the fourth in a series of periodic updates. I hope you find this information interesting and useful, and I welcome your comments and suggestions. Please share this e-newsleteter with others who share your interest in this topic. If you have any questions, please contact me at: Irene Spero, Vice President, CoSN, irene@cosn.org or 866/267-8747 x112.
