CD3: Overview


The Center for Data-Driven Decision Making (CD3) provides products and services to people interested in collecting and using data to drive decision making. Advances in technology, recent requirements in federal, state and local laws, and new research findings have set the occasion for educators to move beyond the "I have a feeling" or "in my experience" models for decision making. Educators can now, more than ever before, reliably collect data that accurately reflects student performance on an ongoing basis. Although annual student assessment results are typically used to compare the quality of  different educational experiences, they are not sufficient to provide the type of ongoing data needed to determine progress checks at the school, grade, classroom, subject, teacher and student level. Therefore, it is essential for educators know what types of questions to ask in order to determine the type of data to collect, how to collect those data, ways to communicate the results (e.g., visually and orally), and how to use those data to drive the decision-making cycle.



 
Using over 30 years of research from cognitive, behavioral and educational psychology, plus extensive field testing in diverse settings (e.g., middle schools in urban districts, rural elementary schools, suburban high schools), The Center D3M has developed a model that focuses on training coaches to use data to drive conversations and improvement at the school, classroom, teacher and student level. For more ⇒ click here

AW  has developed the AW Eleven Key Indicators © for use across several different types of accountability and ongoing quality assurance measurement systems for school improvement. For more information ⇒click here
What should schools and school districts do to establish professional development programs that will produce results? AW  provides educators with an overview of the eight key elements that all professional development programs should contain to impact K-12 student achievement: 1) All activities are referenced to student learning; 2) Schools use data to make decisions about the content and type of activities that constitute professional development; 3) Professional development activities are based on research-validated practices; 4) Subject matter mastery for all teachers is a top priority; 5) There is a long-term plan that provides focused and ongoing professional development with time well allocated; 6) Professional development activities match the content that is being instructed; 7) All professional development activities are fully evaluated; 8) Professional development is aligned with state standards, assessment, and the local school curriculum. For more information ⇒click here