Demystifying, Disaggregating, and Disclosing Data

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Demystifying, Disaggregating, and Disclosing Data

• Strategies for Public Communications
• CCSSO Pre-Conference
• July 26, 2003

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THE GREATEST LEVER FOR CHANGE IN NCLB

• Public Disclosure of Data
• Public Discussion of Data
• Public Commitment to Using Data to Drive
  Improvement

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The State report card shall be--(i) concise
and(ii) presented in an understandable and
uniform format and, to the extent practicable,
provided in a language that the parents can
understand.
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DATA

• A communicators dream
• A communicators nightmare

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The StereotypeLieutenant Commander Data,the
android in Star Trek who possesses an incredible
memory, is virtually an encyclopedia in terms of
information, but is incapable of feeling or
showing emotion
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Timothy "Androids are better than humans?"
Data "'Better' is a highly subjective term. I
do not for example possess the ability to
experience emotion as humans do."
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Timothy "What do you think (of my
sculpture)?" Data "Do you wish a frank
evaluation?" Timothy Nods yes Data "It
lacks the harmony that characterized this
particular temple
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Timothy "You hate it." Data "No. I am not
capable of hatred." Timothy "I can't do
anything right." Data "You are making an
unwarranted extrapolation."
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WHY EACH STATE NEEDS A STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
PLAN
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BRT OPINION RESEARCH ON AYP

• 8 focus groups were conducted
• 2 among suburban Baltimore parents
• 2 among suburban Baltimore teachers
• 2 among Chicago city parents
• 2 among Chicago city teachers
• A nationwide phone survey was conducted May 29
  June 4, 2003 among parents of public school
  children and registered voters (margin of error
  /- 4.6 at the 95 confidence level)

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Most Parents Believe that all Students in their
Area have Access to the Same Quality of
Education

• Do you think that the quality of education
  available to students in the public schools in
  your area is the same or different for
  African-American, Hispanic, White, Asian, Poor,
  ESL, and Special Ed students?

Some groups of students receive a better
quality of education than others
28
72
All students receive the same quality of education
Parents n403
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Black Parents Less Likely to Believe Quality is
Equal in Given Area
Do you think that the quality of education
available to students in the public schools in
your area is the same or different?
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Parents Have High Levels of Concern over Certain
Groups of Students Not Meeting Standards
How concerned would you be about your childs
public school under each of the following
circumstances?
93
91
83
82
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THE ROLE OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

• Data as a driver of continuous improvement
• Data quality and credibility of reform
• Continuity as leadership changes
• Investment in what works

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DATA WONKS AND COMMUNICATORS

• Work together on messages
• Get feedback from parents, educators, and
  policymakers on websites, report cards, and other
  formats for presenting data BEFORE they are
  finalized
• Dont keep policy, data systems, and
  communications in separate silos