The Differences Between ISBE’s Framework for ESSA and NCLB
It’s important to understand the similarities and differences between ESSA and NCLB during the school improvement process.
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How ISBE’s IL-Empower System of Support Has Changed
Last year was the first year of full implementation of ISBE’s System of Support, also known as IL-Empower. How has it changed?
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Case Study: Prioritizing Social & Emotional Learning at Barrington CUSD 220
Barrington District 220 did not set about their SEL journey looking for a quick win, but rather to foster a positive climate and culture.
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Strategic Dashboard White Paper
This white paper discusses strategies that district leaders can use to reshape the narrative surrounding their schools.
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Case Study: Using Data to Improve Instruction at PBL CUSD 10
PBL CUSD 10 sought a platform that would allow them to compare their student data against both national, state, and local norms.
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Case Study: Leading an Evidence-Based Culture at KCSD96
Through a process of careful data analysis and community feedback, the KCSD96 Board of Education is constantly evaluating how to better serve the community.
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Case Study: Promoting Strategic Leadership at CCSD 146
CCSD 146’s leaders needed a way to clearly present their strategic plan both to the district’s staff and to parents and community stakeholders.
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Effect Sizes as Evidence – The single most important pitfall to avoid
Despite widespread use of effect sizes across industries as a standardized measure of impact, effect size calculations remain one of the most incorrectly applied and misinterpreted statistics. An effect size is nothing more than a standardized comparison, or “effect” , that captures the difference between an average value and a meaningful comparison in the metric of standard deviation.
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Measuring Social and Emotional Learning
Social and emotional learning is about understanding who students are, not what they know. It’s internalizing an awareness that our biological systems are wired so that our emotions and interests drive our attention and, ultimately, our progress toward goals.
For chief executives, prioritizing SEL is a strategic issue. Effective implementation of SEL policies starts with the school district developing a clear and compelling vision for SEL that defines tangible outcomes the organization is striving to achieve.
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Tell Your Story by Defining Success
The ability to articulate and substantiate a compelling story of student success and school quality ultimately speaks to the return on investment that schools provide the communities they serve. School quality and student success are a matter of definition. For years, federal policy has controlled the definition of student success and school quality as predominately how students perform on state assessments. As educators, we know there are many additional outcomes that predict student success and align closer to the values of local communities. The story of local school districts is more comprehensive than what state report cards capture.
The state report card is only part of the story – unless the missing parts are never told. Absent the rest of the story, the incomplete story told via the state report cards becomes the full story. The idea is to provide communities the full story.
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