Measurement systems give colleges a structure for collecting, sharing, and acting on data. The guidebook and tools presented here help faculty, staff, college leadership, and policymakers understand and use measurement systems--and specifically use data to improve completion rates, close institutional performance gaps, and facilitate economic…

This guide describes key steps for developing a well-thought-out plan for evaluating a State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP). The guide provides considerations for how to incorporate each step into an evaluation plan, as well as a series of worksheets that correspond to each step and can be used to facilitate the planning process. The guide,…

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that noninstructional staff--including guidance counselors, social workers, school psychologists, office staff, bus drivers, maintenance and facility staff, and food service staff--can take to support school…

Research demonstrates that human development and student learning are highly dependent on interpersonal relationships and positive learning environments (Eccles et al., 1993). However, school improvement efforts often focus on students' mastery of academic skills with much less emphasis on students' social and emotional skills, which are integral…

The rising cost of tuition, increasing competition, and mounting student loan debt has caused educational leaders to rethink degree programs and resources for learners. As such, open educational resources, prior learning assessment, open degree plans, and competency-based learning have gained popularity in the field of higher education.…

Data-driven decision making is part of our everyday lives. For example, we examine our children's immunization charts in order to indicate what vaccinations they have received, as well as what vaccinations are missing and expired. We use information, like a chart, to make decisions about what to do and what not to do. Data-driven decision making…

Madison Elementary School, a K-6 school of 335 students in Marshfield, Wisconsin, recognizes the value of student feedback and strives to learn more through monthly student meetings, whole-class sit-downs, and student exit interviews. As the principal of Madison Elementary School, the author meets with a group of students for half an hour during…

The phrase "data-based decision making" has been used so often in discussions about school improvement efforts that it has become almost a mantra. However, it's "how" data is used that really provides the critical link between practice and school improvement. "Data-Based Decision Making 2.0" is designed to help principals take on the role of…

The aim of this guide is to stimulate professional reflection, dialogue and debate about learning. Education professionals in Scotland are already aware of the key issues relating to learning through the series "Curriculum for Excellence: Building the Curriculum," the recent publication "Learning Together: Opening Up Learning"…

The current tenuous status of public education funding requires that school nurses be proactive in advocacy efforts on behalf of their school nursing programs. Advocating for nursing practice within an educational setting presents unique challenges. Lack of state or national consensus for support of school nurse services creates an opportunity for…

The goal of this practice guide is to formulate specific and coherent evidence-based recommendations that educators can use to improve literacy levels among adolescents in upper elementary, middle, and high schools. The target audience is teachers and other school personnel with direct contact with students, such as coaches, counselors, and…

The HMIE study into the educational experiences of "New Scots" looked at the impact of the numbers of newly-arrived children and young people from migrant families on education services. The task involved a survey of all 32 local authorities and direct fieldwork with 12 local authorities. The fieldwork involved interviews with education…

This book is an easy-to-read primer that describes what it takes to increase student achievement at every grade level, subject area, and student group. Readers will learn how to use data to drive their continuous improvement process as they develop an appreciation of the various types of data, uses for data, and how data are involved with the…

This guide is intended to stimulate professional reflection, dialogue and debate about mathematics and how to improve it. It draws together themes, features and characteristics of effective improvement in mathematics and descriptions of good practice. It offers a reference point for staff and teachers who are working together to improve…

"Building Institutional Capacity for Data-Informed Decision Making" is the third installment of the Cutting Edge series, which aims to help colleges engage faculty, scale successful interventions, and create a strong culture of evidence through use of data to strengthen their institutional change and student success efforts. Though the…