Superintendent's Memo #222-11
COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA
Department of Education
August 12, 2011
TO: Division Superintendents
FROM: Patricia I. Wright, Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT: Availability of a New Web-based Data Analysis and Reporting Tool
The data collected by schools and divisions to monitor student performance are generally imported by divisions into their student data management systems that generate critical reports used by administrators. However, over the past several years, the Office of School Improvement worked with several school divisions who could not afford data management systems that provide electronic tools for sorting and analyzing data into meaningful reports.
To meet this need, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has contracted with Casenex, LLC to provide a Web-based data analysis and reporting tool, “The Virginia Dashboard,” that can be purchased by Virginia public school divisions. The Virginia Dashboard provides a tool for a quarterly data analysis system that may be used by schools and divisions to make strategic, data-driven decisions in order to deploy needed interventions for students who are not meeting expected growth measures and/or who are at risk of failure and dropping out of school. In addition, this tool will follow those interventions throughout the year to determine their effectiveness. This tool is available on a state contract for $500 per school. Quarterly reports will be generated based upon the indicators outlined in the contract available at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/school_finance/procurement/va_dashboard_sch_improvement/casenex_contract.pdf.
This tool is not required nor mandated by the Office of School Improvement for schools in improvement or accredited with warning. It is simply provided as a means to support school divisions’ access to an affordable data management system using their current Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) to analyze quarterly data. The data analysis tool is certified by the Schools Interoperability Framework Association, to at least version 1.5 of the specification, compliant with state and federal privacy laws and regulations, and with Virginia’s Information Security Policy and Standards (http://www.vita.virginia.gov/library/default.aspx?id=537#securityPSGs).
Informational Web conferences will be provided to two audiences – technology staff who are responsible for database administration, and administrators who use the data (principals, data coordinators, and division instructional staff). These Web conferences will be provided by Casenex, LLC and later recorded. The schedule of Web conferences is provided below:
Date |
Time |
Audience |
How to Join |
September 19, 2011 |
10 a.m. |
Technology staff who are responsible for database administration |
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/680241049
Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone. Dial +1 (630) 869-1011 |
September 20, 2011 |
10 a.m. |
Technology staff who are responsible for database administration |
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/283135024
Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone. Dial +1 (805) 309-0016 |
September 21, 2011 |
10 a.m. |
Administrators who use the data (principals, data coordinators, division instructional staff) |
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/785639873
Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone. Dial +1 (914) 339-0027 |
September 22, 2011 |
10 a.m. |
Administrators who use the data (principals, data coordinators, division instructional staff) |
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/598383881
Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone. Dial +1 (914) 339-0026 |
If you are interested in learning more about this product, please contact Dr. Griffin Fernandez at Casenex, LLC at (434) 960-7387 or by e-mail at gfernandez@casenex.com. If you would like to talk with someone from the Office of School Improvement, please contact Dr. Kathleen Smith at (804) 225-2865 or by e-mail at Kathleen.Smith@doe.virginia.gov.
PIW/KMS/cb