With the reporting requirements of the IDEA legislation and increased focus on transition and Indicator 13, data-tracking and accountability in Special Education is becoming an even bigger issue.
And to be honest, it should.
Be Accountable for Student’s Success
Now let me preface that statement by saying that I can certainly empathize with teachers and administrators who are overworked and just don’t have the resources to meet the current needs of the students they serve. But a decision to do nothing is still a decision to do something. The author Moliere once said “It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.” That’s why we came out with a tool called Conover Online, so you can meet those requirements more quickly and cost-effectively (see our previous blog post: Some Assembly Required) and set your students up for success.
To do that correctly, we need to look at data.
Assessment Drives Instruction
At the Conover Company, we have an unofficial motto – assessment drives instruction. Everything we do is focused on not only getting the data, but interpreting it correctly and making appropriate decisions for follow up instruction based on that data.
Jim Barksdale, former Netscape CEO once said, “If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine.” We simply can’t make decisions that will shape a child’s future based on an opinion – we need data!
Data should be used to do three things:
- Drive decisions
- Target resources
- Support instruction
Data that is just collected is worthless – it must be used! Conover Online’s revolutionary management system can automate not only the collection of that data, but also the interpretation of it to make appropriate decisions, target resources, and provide adequate supports and instruction. And it does all this at only $5/credit (What’s a credit? Click here to find out!)
How is YOUR district coping with the increased emphasis on data-tracking & transition assessments?
