The Oregon DATA Project

Updated Feb. 4
Mickey Garrison, Director of School Improvement for the Oregon Education Enterprise Steering Committee (EESC), has been named the 2009 State Data Director of the Year. Garrison received the award from the Data Quality Campaign during its yearly meeting in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 29.

"Mickey has been the driving force behind the Oregon DATA Project, which is successfully building a sustainable statewide framework for professional development supporting the use of data," wrote Doug Kosty, Assistant Superintendent of ODE's Office of Assessment and Information Services, in his nomination letter. "Mickey is a dedicated and tireless visionary who has brought her message--that data is the key to improving student achievement--to every corner of our state."

The Oregonian recognized the award with an article titled "Oregonian named best in nation at getting schools, teachers to use data." You can read it here. She is also quoted in an Ed Week article that examines the results of a DQC survey of state progress toward implementing the group's "10 Actions to Ensure Effective Use of DATA."

"Any work that makes a difference takes a team, and I have the honor of being part of a great team," Garrison said. "The work the Oregon DATA Project is doing is making a huge difference. Teachers and administrators are getting the support needed to close the achievement gap for our students."   

Mickey Garrison is the 2009 State Data Leader of the Year.

Updated Feb. 1
As the new year begins, educators across the state are hard at work on the sustainability phase of the Oregon DATA Project. Several strong efforts are under way to ensure the data training continues to build capacity, as well as embed a culture of data quality in schools throughout our state.

Technical Data Training: The formal round of technical training has been delivered to ESDs throughout Oregon. For information on technical training opportunities available to districts and swchools, contact your ESD.

Implementation RFP: This plan was designed to allow three ESDs working with one or two carefully chosen districts to study implementation considerations. The selected ESDs are High Desert, Linn-Benton-Lincoln and Northwest Regional. Each will receive approximately $100,000 over two years for the work of embedding a culture of data quality into partnering K-12 districts. A strong evaluation component looks at three areas: effectiveness of the professional development; degree of implementation; and the impact on student learning.

Sustainability agreement: An agreement between ODE and OAESD supports seven ESD regional centers as they provide job-embedded training and other support to districts within their region. All 20 ESDs were placed into seven regional centers, based on criteria established through the Data Quality Work Group and the Instructional Leadership Council. About $1 million over a two-year period will allow investigation of various levels of implementation on the Instructional data training offered in Strand 3 (using data in the classroom). 

So far, the Oregon DATA Project has trained more than a thousand teachers, administrators and classified staff, along with school board members, state education officials, higher education representatives and members of the public.

Updated Feb. 4
Study materials are available for the Oregon DATA Project's free three-day certification training session, set for Feb. 22-24 at Clackamas ESD. The session, created for educators interested in teaching others how to use data to improve student achievement, is full. Instructions for a pre-session study course are on page 2 of the flier at left, with the materials posted HERE.