Elaine Allensworth

Make data work for your school—and for every student Far too often, educators are inundated with data that feels overwhelming, irrelevant, or unhelpful. In Using Data to Improve Schools, nationally recognized expert on school transformation and student achievement Elaine Allensworth offers a framework for understanding the critical properties of data and the tools educators need to focus on the metrics that matter most for student achievement. Rooted in two decades of research on educational policy and practice and real-world success stories from Chicago Public Schools, this groundbreaking guide bridges the gap between theory and practice, helping educators build a culture of data-driven collaboration and success. Topics covered include Common myths and assumptions that divert attention from the data that matter most Guidance on using systems for continuous improvement such as Early Warning Indicator (EWI) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Tools to align teachers, families, and staff around a shared vision and strategies that build trust and momentum for sustainable growth Allensworth clearly outlines how schools can improve key performance areas—like attendance, test scores, and graduation rates—by identifying high-impact metrics and fostering a collaborative culture of improvement. By simplifying complex concepts and offering tools for effective collaboration, this guide inspires educators to turn numbers into positive change.

In Absent from School, Gottfried and Hutt offer a comprehensive and timely resource for educators and policy makers seeking to understand the scope, impact, and causes of chronic student absenteeism. The editors present a series of studies by leading researchers from a variety of disciplines that address which students are missing school and why, what roles schools themselves play in contributing to or offsetting patterns of absenteeism, and ways to assess student attendance for purposes of school accountability. The contributors examine school-based initiatives that focus on a range of issues, including transportation, student health, discipline policies, and protections for immigrant students, as well as interventions intended to improve student attendance. Only in the past two or three years has chronic absenteeism become the focus of attention among policy makers, civil rights advocates, and educators. Absent from School provides the first critical, systematic look at research that can inform and guide those who are working to ensure that every child is in school and learning every day.

In Absent from School, Gottfried and Hutt offer a comprehensive and timely resource for educators and policy makers seeking to understand the scope, impact, and causes of chronic student absenteeism. The editors present a series of studies by leading researchers from a variety of disciplines that address which students are missing school and why, what roles schools themselves play in contributing to or offsetting patterns of absenteeism, and ways to assess student attendance for purposes of school accountability. The contributors examine school-based initiatives that focus on a range of issues, including transportation, student health, discipline policies, and protections for immigrant students, as well as interventions intended to improve student attendance. Only in the past two or three years has chronic absenteeism become the focus of attention among policy makers, civil rights advocates, and educators. Absent from School provides the first critical, systematic look at research that can inform and guide those who are working to ensure that every child is in school and learning every day.

In 1988 the Chicago public school system decentralized, granting parents and communities significant resources and authority to reform their schools in dramatic ways. To track the effects of this bold experiment, the authors of "Organizing Schools for Improvement" collected a wealth of data on elementary schools in Chicago. They identified one hundred elementary schools that had substantially improved, and one hundred that had not, over a seven-year period. What had the successful schools done to accelerate student learning? The authors of this illuminating book identify a comprehensive set of practices and conditions that were key factors for improvement, including school leadership, the professional capacity of the faculty and staff, and a student-centered learning climate. In addition, they analyze the impact of social dynamics, including crime, critically examining the inextricable link between schools and their communities. Putting their data onto a more human scale, they also chronicle the stories of two neighboring schools with very different trajectories. The lessons gleaned from this groundbreaking study will be invaluable for anyone involved with urban education.

In 1988 the Chicago public school system decentralized, granting parents and communities significant resources and authority to reform their schools in dramatic ways. To track the effects of this bold experiment, the authors of "Organizing Schools for Improvement" collected a wealth of data on elementary schools in Chicago. They identified one hundred elementary schools that had substantially improved, and one hundred that had not, over a seven-year period. What had the successful schools done to accelerate student learning? The authors of this illuminating book identify a comprehensive set of practices and conditions that were key factors for improvement, including school leadership, the professional capacity of the faculty and staff, and a student-centered learning climate. In addition, they analyze the impact of social dynamics, including crime, critically examining the inextricable link between schools and their communities. Putting their data onto a more human scale, they also chronicle the stories of two neighboring schools with very different trajectories. The lessons gleaned from this groundbreaking study will be invaluable for anyone involved with urban education.