1. F OSTERING E VIDENCE - BASED C ULTURES IN K-12 S CHOOLS : G ATHERING D ATA FROM AN O NLINE A PPLICATION S YSTEM Dr. Mary E. Yakimowski Ms. Sarah D. Newton University of Connecticut Transition to the Connecticut State Standards and System of Assessments Third Annual Connecticut Assessment Crown Plaza, Cromwell Rocky Hill, CT August, 2012 HTTP :// WWW. EDUCATION. UCONN. EDU / ASSESSMENT / PowerPoint available at: HTTP :// WWW. EDUCATION. UCONN. EDU / ASSESSMENT /

2. S ESSION D ESCRIPTION The University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education is well-known for a culture in evidence-based decisions leading to continuous improvement (Freed & Huba, 2000; Neag Assessment Committee, 2012; Yakimowski & Coleman, 2009). Among the tools that are used is an on-line application system, which affords the opportunity to efficiently gather data from different stakeholders. Then, the information is analyzed and multi-angulated to make changes so that courses, programs, departments, or the school can improve. As school district personnel are aware, grade K-12 institutions need data to inform for evidenced-based decisions as well. Personnel need information from students, parents, alumni, staff, and community members. In this interactive session, presenters will share and discuss the Neag School’s use of an online application system as generalized to a K-12 setting. For example, presenters will facilitate discussions about accessing and using an on-line application system to gather data on such things as students’ feelings about the school climate, alumni’s opinions regarding about the strengths and areas for improvement regarding their high school education, teachers’ professional development needs, and parents’ perceptions of strengths and areas for improvement with regard to transportation and other issues. Additionally, the presenters will discuss item format, electronic dissemination, and reporting functions.

3. O VERVIEW  Purpose  Comparisons (K-12 with HE)  Planning Stages  Identifying Stakeholders  Specifying Information Needed  Merging Stakeholders with Information Needed  Selecting Tool to Acquire Information (Evidence)  If selecting online application system…  General Examples  Specific Examples  Process  Group Activities

4. P URPOSE  School Improvement  Continuous Improvement  Response to Intervention  Assessment  Evidence-based Culture

5. C OMPARISONS Similarities and Differences  Stakeholders  Policy Makers  Accreditation Agencies  Employers Formal/informal decisions Committee Structures Incorporation of “Good” Data

6. C YCLE OF C ONTINUOUS I MPROVEMENT

7. N EAG S CHOOL OF E DUCATION

8. N EAG S CHOOL OF E DUCATION A SSESSMENT P LAN

9. A SSESSMENT P LAN

11. O VERVIEW  Purpose  Comparisons (K-12 with HE)  Planning Stages  Identifying Stakeholders  Specifying Information Needed  Merging Stakeholders with Information Needed  Selecting Tool to Acquire Information (Evidence)  If selecting online application system…  General Examples  Specific Examples  Process  Group Activities

12. P LANNING S TAGES : I DENTIFYING S TAKEHOLDERS Students Staff Teachers Administrators Board of Education Community Members CSDE (maybe)

13. P LANNING S TAGES : S PECIFYING I NFO N EEDED Professional Development School Climate Parent Interest Teacher Evaluation/Assessment Employer Survey Alumni Opinions Transportation Issues

14. P LANNING S TAGES : M ERGING S TAKEHOLDERS WITH I NFO N EEDED Stakeholders:  Students  Staff  Teachers  Administrators  Board of Education  Community Members Information Needed:  Professional Development  School Climate

15. P LANNING S TAGES : M ERGING S TAKEHOLDERS WITH I NFO N EEDED Stakeholders:  Students  Staff  Teachers  Administrators  Board of Education  Community Members Information Needed:  Professional Development  School Climate

16. P LANNING S TAGES : S ELECTING A “T OOL ” B ASED U PON I NFO N EEDED Existing Data Acquiring New Data

17. O NLINE A PPLICATION S YSTEM

18. O NLINE A PPLICATION D ESIGN (I TEM = Q UESTION )

19. A PPLICATION W RITING T IPS

20. I TEM O PTIONS

21. R ADIO B UTTONS  List – horizontal or vertical - from which one option may be selected  Examples from the Professional Development Evaluation:

22. D ROP D OWN L ISTS  A drop down menu from which one option can be selected  Example from the School Climate Questionnaire:

23. C HECKBOXES  List from which multiple options can be selected.  Examples from the Parent Education Interest Inventory:

24. R ATING S CALES  Radio button scale consisting of consecutively-numbered options  Example from the Employee Survey:

25. M ATRICES  A grid of questions  Examples from the High School Climate Survey:

26. O PEN -E NDED S INGLE -L INE T EXT  Free-form text with formatting rules  Examples from the Parent Education Interest Inventory:

27. O PEN -E NDED M ULTI -L INE T EXT  Free-form text in a box with a specified number of rows and columns  Examples from the Elementary School Climate Survey:

28. S ELECTING O NLINE S YSTEM : P ROCESS  Invitation to Participate with Cover Letter Purpose Why THEY are asked for info Anonymous, confidential, aggregate info Timeline

29. Invitation to Participate Example:

30. Cover Letter Example:

31.  School Climate Questionnaire Example

36. APPLICATION EXAMPLE  Parent Education Interest Inventory – Invitation to Participate

37.  Parent Education Interest Inventory – Cover Letter APPLICATION EXAMPLE

38.  Parent Education Interest Inventory – Invitation Letter APPLICATION EXAMPLE

39.  Parent Education Interest Inventory – Invitation Letter APPLICATION EXAMPLE

40.  Parent Education Interest Inventory – Invitation Letter APPLICATION EXAMPLE

41.  Parent Education Interest Inventory – Invitation Letter APPLICATION EXAMPLE

42. E XAMPLES  Elementary School Climate Survey http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/esclimate2012.aspx http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/esclimate2012.aspx  Employee Survey http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/employee2012.aspx  High School Climate Survey http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/hsclimate2012.aspx http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/hsclimate2012.aspx  Parent Education Interest Inventory http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/parentinterest2012.aspx http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/parentinterest2012.aspx  Professional Development Evaluation http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/profdev2012.aspx http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/profdev2012.aspx  School Climate Questionnaire http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/climate2012.aspx http://uconn.checkboxonline.com/climate2012.aspx

43. R EPORT E XAMPLES  Pie charts  Bar graphs  Tables  Qualitative responses

44. CHECKBOX LIVE DEMO

45. Degree/CertificationCount Perce nt Bachelor's 7310.3 Master's43160.5 6th Year Certificate 11215.7 Doctorate 9613.5 Total: 712100.0

46. Code: 1: Very unsatisfied; 3: Neither satisfied nor unsatisfied; 5: Very satisfied

48. EXAMPLES AND LIVE DEMO AN OFFER … TO YOU Dr. Mary E. Yakimowski mary.yakimowski@uconn.edu 860-486-2848 mary.yakimowski@uconn.edu Ms. Sarah D. Newton University of Connecticut