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| Practices of Effective Schools |
| Monday, May 26, 2008 |
| 10:30 AM–11:50 AM |
| Williford C |
| Area: EDC/AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Chair: Guy S. Bruce (Appealing Solutions, LLC) |
| Discussant: Henry S. Pennypacker (University of Florida) |
| CE Instructor: Guy S. Bruce, Ed.D. |
| Abstract: Because many public schools are failing to produce students with the knowledge and skills they need for successful lives, there is a growing demand by parents, employers, and other taxpayers for more effective schools. This symposium will describe the educational practices implemented by three effective schools and examine the evidence that these practices are responsible for their superior learning outcomes. |
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| Using Objective Outcome Measures to Promote Student Achievement in the Pennsylvania Verbal Behavior Project. |
| WILLIAM A. GALBRAITH (PA Training and Technical Assistance Network) |
| Abstract: This presentation will focus on how clearly defined teacher competencies and classroom implementation outcomes are used to establish training priorities and to guide on-site consultation to promote student acquisition of communication and social skills in ninety autism support classrooms throughout Pennsylvania. Student achievement is measured by pre/post scores on the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS). Teacher competencies are assessed by a checklist measuring skills in classroom management, instructional design and delivery, and managing problem behaviors. Pre/post site review outcomes measure changes in implementation of critical interventions based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) and the analysis of verbal behavior (AVB). The site review is also used as a formative assessment to guide the consultation process and to assess implementation progress of classrooms. Outcome data reflecting these measures will be presented from the last 3 years of the PA Verbal Behavior Project. |
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| Data-driven Management for the 21st Century: Watch the Children - All of Them, All of the Time. |
| BAKER A. MITCHELL (The Roger Bacon Academy), Mark T. Cramer (The Roger Bacon Academy), Jesse Smith (The Roger Bacon Academy) |
| Abstract: In elementary schools, each young student should be continually assessed to ensure mastery of each successive skill as the curricula build toward their final, composite goals. Teachers can be held accountable for proper execution of this process only when they are given efficient data collection and analysis tools and are trained in their use. Likewise, principals can be held accountable for proper support and training of teachers only when they, in turn, have efficient access to the same student assessment data and analysis tools.
Simple, easily acquired measurements – words per minute read or basic math facts answered per minute – have been shown to be sensitive indicators of more comprehensive skills and can serve as proxies for more complex, time-consuming assessments. However for a 750-student school, a minimal set of, say, four items per day per student produces 15,000 data points per week. The challenge is to devise a system to manage the acquisition, display, and analysis of these data in a manner that does not disrupt the teaching mission but rather is supportive and complementary to this mission at the student, classroom, and school levels. This presentation describes such a data system and discusses the experiences of three years’ use. |
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| Practices of Effective Schools. |
| GUY S. BRUCE (Appealing Solutions, LLC), Libby M. Street (Central Washington University) |
| Abstract: Some schools produce better learning outcomes than others. What could account for their success? This presentation will describe the educational practices implemented by effective schools and examine the evidence that one or more of the practices they implement is responsible for their superior learning outcomes. |
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