Data, Data and More Data

Rac

Rachel Wise

hel Wise, District 3, Nebraska State Board of Education (November, 2013)

Data, Data and More Data!

With a click of a button — OK, more like several clicks once in a website — you can learn a great deal about all our public schools in Nebraska. This month, I want to guide you to a wealth of information about schools and student performance that you can explore if you so desire. By the time you read this article, additional information, including high school graduation rates, school dropout rates and school district ACT scores will be posted on the Nebraska Department of Education website. I am sure that many of you, like me, may find this information very valuable. It is also an accurate and reliable source of information about our schools in Nebraska!

To start this journey, go to the NDE website, www.education.ne.gov. I do include this web address at the end of every article, because it truly is a great resource for any student, parent or community member who wants to learn more about what is happening in education in Nebraska. Once you are on the homepage of the website, there is a link in the middle of the page that is titled NEW: State of the Schools Report, which is where we are headed to learn more about Nebraska schools. Once on this page you will be provided with a great deal of information about the overall performance of Nebraska schools. There is a great deal of good news on this page.

As you review the information on the Nebraska State of the Schools Report, improvement and growth are two very important terms that tell a different story about our schools. Improvement is looking at how one grade improved from one year to the next, by comparing the same grade. For example, the 4^th grade class of 2011 was compared to the 4^th grade class of 2012. Growth, which is my favorite measure, looks at how individual students performed from one year to the next. This measure looks at how a student in 4^th grade student performed in 5^th grade. Approximately 83 percent of the schools demonstrated improvement and growth in reading. Math, is a different story, with approximately 68 percent of the schools showing improvement and 57 percent demonstrating growth.

As you delve into the Nebraska report card, do not stop at state information. Click on the district or school tabs to learn more about the school district in your community, neighborhood, or the school that your grandchildren, nieces or nephews attend. A nice feature on the report card is the ability to click on a county and look at the data for all schools in the county. I serve District 3, which is comprised of 15 counties. This feature gives me an opportunity to look at information about all of the school districts I represent in District 3.

One more data note, then I will call it a day — or an article — if you prefer. Nebraska is involved in a longitudinal data project in partnership with Education Service Units (ESUs) and school districts. The purpose of this project is to help schools use their data to improve and personalize learning experiences. The goal is to help teachers get pertinent achievement data at their fingertips so they can better meet the needs of every student in their classrooms. The longitudinal data project involves pilot school districts and ESUs working together on the use of achievement data to improve student outcomes. Thanks to the leadership in the following area school districts and ESUs that volunteered to be a part of the pilot: Bancroft Rosalie Community Schools, Ponca Public Schools, South Sioux City Schools, ESU 1, ESU 2, ESU 7 and ESU 8.

If you would like to contact me, feel free to do so at rachel.wise@nebraska.gov.