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Collect Program Data

Many districts have created systematic polling, monitoring, and evaluation processes that measure school improvement, family satisfaction with current schools, and stakeholder interest in having specific types of choice options in the future.

Program Practices

Collect Feedback from School Staff
In the Houston Independent School District, the district polled magnet coordinators to find out whether the goals of the program were being met from their perspective.

Decide Which Indicators Are Important and Develop Assessment Tools
The Wake County Public School System has centralized its data collection efforts to monitor the achievement of choice program goals.

Develop Data Collection Tools for Individual Schools
Mesa Public Schools has a district system to analyze each school’s performance and to assert principals as the key contributors to the data that is collected.

Evaluate Schools in Person
The magnet program of the Houston Independent School District is continually engaged in monitoring and evaluating the magnet program at both the district and the school level through site visits and technical support.

Evaluate Teacher Performance
Arkansas Virtual School uses a performance rubric, semi-annual home office visits and parent satisfaction surveys to evaluate teacher effectiveness and justify annual teacher contracts.

Evaluate the Program and Network With Schools Nationally to Improve
Arkansas Virtual School hired an external evaluator to assess the effectiveness of the overall program and recommend areas of improvement.

Implement a Whole School Effectiveness Model Survey
The Whole School Effectiveness Model was developed by a former Hillsborough County Public Schools Chief Academic Officer to ensure that the quality of education at all school sites is consistent.

Partner With a Researcher to Study Program and Advise
New Haven Public Schools has been working with the same evaluator since 1995, Dr. David Kikoler from American Education Solutions, Inc, who has worked with the district in a range of ways.

Research Promising School Choice Practices and Disseminate Findings to Choice Audiences
The Florida School Choice Resource Center (FSCRC)—with consultants from Nova Southeastern University, the University of South Florida, the University of West Florida, and the Florida Association of Charter School Authorizers—produces reports compiling best school choice practices throughout Florida.

Run a Web-Based Diagnostic Assessment System to Frequently and Systematically Assess Student Progress
In order to ensure that Brighter Choice schools were adequately teaching all academic subjects and meeting state education requirements throughout the year, the Foundation contracted out with a consultant in 2004 to create a separate nonprofit organization called School Performance.

Train Staff to Collect and Utilize Data
Montclair Public Schools trained its principals to analyze and utilize data in running their schools.

Use Internal and External Evaluations to Monitor Progress
Hot Springs School District uses a combination of internal and external evaluations to monitor its academic programs.

Use Web-based Reporting Tools to Provide Schools with Student Transfer Information
Portland Public Schools provides each school in their district with a School Choice Administrative Tools software package.

Rigorously Evaluate Choice Program Using Multiple Sources of Data
Miami-Dade County Public Schools has implemented multiple strategies to collect and review pertinent data in order to evaluate its choice program.

Sample Materials

School Performance
The Brighter Choice Program uses this system developed by School Performance, which provides assessments for charter schools to administer throughout the year. Results from the assessments allow schools to monitor and adjust instruction to best support students.

School Performance Diagnostic Assessment System
The Brighter Choice Program uses this system developed by School Performance, which provides assessments for charter schools to administer throughout the year. Results from the assessments allow schools to monitor and adjust instruction to best support students.

Whole School Effectiveness Survey

Survey of Voluntary Public School Choice Teachers
Desert Sands Unified School District annually monitors teacher satisfaction for its choice schools using this teacher survey.

School System Annual Report
Wake County Public School System creates and publishes an annual report for the community to disseminate district accomplishments and student performance data.

Quality Matters: A Wake Community Review of the Public’s Schools
The Wake County Public School System's Education Partnership creates an annual report of progress toward the county's education goals.

Demographics Growth and Diversity Report
Wake County Public School System leaders use local demographic data to evaluate the success of their program.

Executive Summary: Magnet Programs 2002-03
Houston Independent School District's Department of Evaluation and Research conducts an annual evaluation of magnet program data for the district.

Principal's Data Book
Each principal in Mesa Public Schools is provided with a binder from the central office to help them analyze their school's performance.

Site Visit Evaluation Form
Houston Independent School District uses this form to conduct site visits for its magnet programs. Each school manages its own records so auditing documentation is critical to maintaining their records system.

Data Analysis Presentation
Each year, principals in Mesa Public Schools attend a data analysis workshop led by the district's Research and Evaluation Department. This PowerPoint presentation details testing efforts in the district, examines testing outcomes, and discusses how to address testing results.

Online Volunteer Registration Form
This online tool for registering and tracking volunteers at individual schools and charting lengths and types of participation has recently been implemented in Portland Public Schools.

Whole School Effectiveness Survey Results
Hillsborough County Public Schools administers a survey to students, parents, and all staff annually to collect data on the quality of education in the district. These are the results of the survey for the school year 2005–06.

Arkansas Virtual School Program Final Evaluation Report 2005-2006
During the 2005-2006 school year, the Arkansas Virtual School (ARVS) administrators hired an external evaluator to assess the ARVS processes and policies and recommend areas of improvement. At the conclusion of the evaluation, the evaluator presented its findings in a final report.

Whole School Effectiveness Model
Hillsborough County Public Schools' superintendent provided this PowerPoint presentation on the Whole School Effectiveness Model to district and school administrators. This is an abriged version.

Equity and Diversity Report
This report compiled information on issues of diversity, equity, and the operation of choice programs in districts in the mentorship program during the 2005–2006 school year.

Evaluator Job Description

Evaluation Rubric for Magnet Schools

Marketing and Outreach Study
This study used an online survey in order to ascertain the most common and productive methods of communicating with district populations about choice options, identify districts not marketing choice to all populations, and build a database of district choice staff responsible for marketing efforts.

Online Marketing and Outreach Survey
Information from this online survey was used to compile the Marketing and Outreach Study that outlines marketing strategies districts throughout Florida are using to market their school choice programs.

Media

Three Things to Consider

• Collect a variety of data from multiple sources
• Staff can be trained to utilize data and make data-driven decisions
• Evaluate school programs in person