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WHY DID WE CREATE THIS WEB SITE?

This site was created by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University to help schools and districts in their school-improvement efforts. It includes a database of practical and easy-to-use tools, a School-Improvement Guide, and resources for effectively using data.

The Tools for School-Improvement Planning Web site reflects the Annenberg Institute's vision of accountability: any system designed to raise student achievement must be firmly committed to equal opportunities for all students and to ongoing, reflective use of data to inform decisions.

The No Child Left Behind Act calls for an unprecedented level of accountability for student achievement. However, high standards and rigorous testing alone are not enough to guarantee success for all students. To understand what students need to be successful, it's vital to collect and use data from a variety of measures beyond standardized-test results. The tools in this collection are instruments for that purpose.

FOCUS AREAS Leadership Community Connections Professional Development School Organization School Climate Student Supports Comprehensive School    Improvement > Search the tools

The Tools section of the site contains observation protocols, focus group samples and questions, surveys, questionnaires, and other tools to help practitioners examine their specific focus areas of school improvement. The site is not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive; rather, it is representative of the tools that are available on the Web.

The site also includes the School-Improvement Guide, which outlines a school self-study process to make improvement a permanent part of school practice, and Using Data, a resource section on types and uses of data, including case studies and other materials. Combining data collection and analysis with a cycle of inquiry and action allows schools to take the actions needed to close the persistent achievement gap between groups of students based on income, race, gender, native language and disability.

WHAT CAN THESE TOOLS DO FOR ME?

This site allows instructional staff, principals, school-improvement teams, parents, community groups, and students to effectively use data in their school-improvement efforts. The tools on this site have been successfully used and, in many cases, designed by your peers. They do not require a specialized expertise in statistical analysis.

These tools are not intended to solve all of your school's problems, but they can help you think about a particular issue in your school or district in a new way. The tools come in a wide variety. Some are designed by researchers and are statistically valid and reliable; some are designed by students to address a particular classroom issue.

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