1 Wendell J. Callahan, Ph.D. San Diego County Office of Education September 2011
Introduction The domains of best practices The review process Dissemination via the web Research findings Comparison to other ASAM schools Common elements in best practice Discussion 2
Began in 2006 to as a demonstration project to collect and disseminate information to the field about best practices in alternative education Collaboration between San Diego COE, California Dept. of Education, El Dorado COE and key alternative education organizations Funded by NCLB Accountability Research funds Applications were collected and reviewed annually Applications focus on program narrative and integration of relevant outcome data 3
Assessment, Evaluation and Data Management Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Technology Leadership and Staff Development Student Support, Retention and Transition 4
Reviewers (7 to 10) participate from: Juvenile Court, Community and Alternative School Administrators of California (JCCASAC) California Consortium for Independent Study (CCIS) California Continuation Education Association (CCEA) Community Day School Network (CDSNet) WestEd Calif. Dept. of Ed. Educational Options Office El Dorado County Office of Education 5
Measurable Impact on Student Achievement Based on ASAM Indicator data and other outcome data Innovation Replicability/Generalizability Program Integration/Coordination Teacher/Staff Training Resource Demand/Allocation Collaborations/Outreach 6
54 practices have been reviewed to date 23 identified as best practices (43%) Focus on narrative, integrating outcome data Every effective alternative school has a story, usually not articulated well by standardized testing and accountability data The Best Practices website: Ideally, educators view the narratives, contact practitioners and discuss practices 7
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A subgroup of the project review panel reviewed all Practices for common elements Basic requisites versus common elements of best practice: Active, standards-based instruction Adequate and up to date curricular materials Student assessment Engaged leadership We found the following super ordinate themes of best practice: Engagement School Culture Administrative Environment Change in Student Time Horizon/Perspective 16
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Preliminary CERI Ratings of the Practices ranked the following elements the highest: Engagement Enthusiasm Encouragement School Culture Caring Commitment Administrative Environment Central/District Administration supports experimentation Responsiveness to student needs and outcomes Change in Student Time Horizon/Perspective Relevance and practical application Students feel school is there for them 18
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Online Professional Learning Community Free to join Post content, videos, lesson plans, comments, etc.
Contact Information Wendell J. Callahan, Principal Investigator Stephanie Johnston, Project Specialist 21