EVSC Wins National Award for Use of Data

            The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation was recently notified that it has been selected as the number one school district in the nation for the way it uses data to ensure student needs are met.  According to the award notification, the Data Quality Campaign’s (DQC) 2014 District Data Use Award was given to the EVSC for establishing a district-wide vision and creating a collaborative culture where educators use data to improve outcomes for students.

“We are pleased to honor Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation for providing its educators and community with the tools, knowledge, and training to build a culture of data use that has propelled student achievement,” said Aimee Rogstad Guidera, Executive Director of the Data Quality Campaign. DQC’s Recognition Program awards policymakers, district leaders and advocates who have demonstrated a focus on using education data to support families and educators in their efforts to improve student achievement in four categories.

The DQC noted several things that distinguish the EVSC from other school districts across the nation, such as:

• Built and use an extensive data warehouse and also data dashboards which make data readily accessible to educators
• Provide a structured approach to analyzing data through the use of Harvard’s Data Wise process.
• All EVSC schools have data teams which attend Data Wise quarterly summits tailor-made to the schools’ needs
• Use of data coaches and lead coaches who work alongside teachers in using data
• Implemented interim and common  assessments to provide frequent checks on student progress which inform instruction
• Students are involved in goal setting, using their interim assessment data
• Work with local universities to provide pre-service training on using assessment data
• Created a Research Review process to safeguard student data while at the same time sustaining important partnerships with universities, researchers and community agencies.
• Intentional use of data demonstrated through EVSC’s use of Performance Management sessions.  These presentations encourage transparency and accountability as schools share and discuss data regarding student achievement.

The use of data allows the EVSC to better serve its families.  “As we more clearly understand our present performance in key areas, we can ask better questions about the way we deliver instruction to our students, said Susan McDowell Riley, deputy superintendent for academic affairs and accountability. “When learning communities collaborate to add skillful data analysis to their daily work, student performance is enhanced.”

Superintendent David Smith said, “I wholeheartedly believe in our approach to data,” noting the state’s accountability measures show that Evansville’s process is working.  “Fifty-one percent of our schools are at the highest grade level or showed improvement and 38 percent of our schools improved by one or more grades. So, clearly, this has been very beneficial to our students.”