June 2014

In this Issue | Formative Assessment Study funded by NSF | Early childhood data systems | Cost-effectiveness of high school completion programs | Continuous improvement in schools | IES Knowledge Utilization Center announced | and more!
Project Spotlight
NSF grant funds CPRE study of formative assessment professional development in Philadelphia schools
A team of CPRE researchers and experts at the Vermont Mathematics Partnership have been awarded a research grant by the National Science Foundation to implement and study the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) at scale in grades 3-5 in schools during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years
 
OGAP is a systemic and intentional formative assessment system in mathematics grounded in the research on how students learn mathematics. Through extensive professional development, supported by tools and resources, teachers learn how to use formative assessments in their classrooms and analyze the resulting information about student thinking to guide subsequent instruction.  OGAP is not a curriculum, but is designed to be used with an existing curriculum on a regular basis. 
 
The project has successfully enrolled 60 Philadelphia-schools in the randomized control trial and will begin training teachers this summer in preparation for data collection this fall.
New Publication
Early Childhood Data Systems: Putting Data to Work
Faced with rising demand for information about early childhood programs, states need to find tools and strategies to monitor the progress of and to identify high quality early childhood programs. In response, REL Mid-Atlantic, with CPRE researchers Philip Sirinides and Ryan Fink, convened a regional workgroup for state personnel who work with the systems containing early childhood data.  Read the report which summarizes the lessons learned and topics discussed in the workgroup meetings in 2013.  
Center Spotlight
Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University
The Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education (CBCSE) at Teachers College works to understand the cost-effectiveness of educational programs in order to help policymakers optimize resource allocation and enhance productivity in education. 
 
A recent publication, Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Interventions that Improve High School Completion by Henry Levin, et. al., demonstrates the methods of cost-effectiveness analysis as applied to several educational programs that have been shown to improve the rate of high school completion. 
 
This publication is part of a series which Insights will feature throughout the summer.
Presentation
Practicing Continuous Improvement in Schools
In a presentation given at the MSA National Conference, CPRE co-director Jonathan Supovitz discussed the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of school improvement efforts and readjusting actions as necessary, a cycle similar in theory to formative assessment. View Supovitz's presentation here.
Continuous improvement requires a cycle of action, evaluation, and readjustment.
More
IES has awarded the NCER Knowledge Utilization Center grant to William R. Penuel (University of Colorado Boulder), CPRE's Heather Hill (Harvard Graduate School of Education), CPRE's Cynthia E. Coburn (Northwestern University), CPRE's James P. Spillane (Northwestern University), Anna-Ruth Allen (University of Colorado Boulder), Jon Fullerton (Center for Education Policy Research), Derek Briggs (University of Colorado Boulder).

 

In its first year as a full-fledged high school, former CPRE senior researcher Matt Riggan's Workshop School enrolled 160 students in its project-based program and attracted the attention of the White House.

Contact
Jackie Kerstetter, Communications Manager
3440 Market St, Ste 560 | Philadelphia, PA | 19333
[email protected] | 215.573.0700x230
Connect with CPRE
Like us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter