Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Data Systems Helping California Schools Compete for “Race to the Top” Stimulus Funds with Digital Solution DataDirector

Teachers, principals and administrators across California are better positioning themselves to receive a portion of the up to $700 million in stimulus funds by successfully implementing Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's suite of standards-based curriculum data analysis for dramatic improvement in student achievement. In order to receive grants from the federal Race to the Top Fund, states must advance reforms in four key areas – one of which is, “building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction.” As of the January 19, 2010 deadline, 40 states and the District of Columbia have entered the competition for Race to the Top funds.

The U.S. Department of Education also released a report in January detailing the value that educational data systems can bring to school districts by providing teachers with information about student performance and measurement that is both timely and relevant to their instructional decisions. Despite the critical importance of data systems, the report, “ Use of Education Data at the Local Level: From Accountability to Instructional Improvement," notes that only a small minority of districts and schools have made data use a regular part of teachers’ practice.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s DataDirector digital solution is, however, already helping school districts across California meet criteria similar to those in Race to the Top on other funding sources such as Title 1 funding. DataDirector will help demonstrate transparency of reporting for these criteria and improve districts’ chances of gaining stimulus funding critical to continued success.

“Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is committed to working with school districts in California and across the United States to meet their unique needs for integrated teaching and learning programs and tools that support achievement," K–12 President Mike Lavelle, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, said. " DataDirector is the only resource of its kind and helps to make the educational process more effective for teachers and students.”

DataDirector provides innovative online data management to help educators meet the needs of elementary and secondary students. With the need for transparency of data across districts, schools, and classrooms, DataDirector helps educators make sense of complex data to promote actionable objectives. DataDirector has been instrumental in cultivating a culture of data-driven decision making across a district by allowing educators the ability to create reports that help identify patterns and needs, core program success, interventions needed, and identify areas of professional development needed. By using DataDirector, districts have seen the results they are looking for—more effective programs, more integrated interventions, improved teaching practices and increased student success.

San Diego Unified School District use DataDirector to identify specific student needs and achieve greater success

San Diego Unified School District began using DataDirector in 2008. They wanted an online tool that was easy to use, capable of producing a variety of reports, and a means by which they could effectively monitor student progress and achievement.

DataDirector allows District principals and teachers to use data in more efficient and focused ways. Reports can be produced that combine numerous assessments from various sources into a tool that helps drive instructional and academic decisions. For example, educators can quickly identify students or groups of students who need extra support in specific subjects so that they can effectively tailor instruction to raise student performance. The ability to continuously monitor performance gives teachers the ability to keep students on track and preventing significant deficiencies.

San Diego has also used DataDirector to implement benchmark exams to help schools monitor performance toward achieving proficiency on the California Standards Tests (CSTs). The program allows educators to create as needed exams and assessments so that they can ensure progress is being made and students meet California’s high academic standards. DataDirector enables districts to create assessment tools geared specifically to their unique student needs.

DataDirector has proven itself as a catalyst to help improve student performance. San Diego schools that made significant gains in their 2008-2009 CST and Academic Performance Index (API) scores attribute much of their success to the effective and focused use of data to modify instruction and target specific students for interventions – capabilities not easily undertaken prior to DataDirector. Furthermore, the tremendous strides made last year in the District’s ability to use data effectively and the development of a culture that values evidence based decision making would not have occurred without a tool such as DataDirector.

Mountain View School District adopts DataDirector to get performance data back into the hands of teachers quickly.

Educators in Ontario, California's Mountain View School District were unequipped to collect and analyze the myriad new data in their student information system. They required a powerful assessment tool that was straightforward enough to use quickly at the classroom level.

"It was too hard to get data back to the classroom in a timely manner," said District Technology Coordinator Rufus Thompson. "Our model was always data-driven instruction, yet we consistently fell short of our goals."

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's DataDirector organized three years worth of Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) data in a matter of hours, giving teachers a complete picture of individual students' performance in real time. DataDirector also enabled teachers to assess their own performance by evaluating former students who had moved beyond their classrooms, empowering them to hone their professional skills from a broader perspective. All three of Mountain View's elementary schools now score over 800 API — an unheard-of statistic prior to the introduction of DataDirector.

Firebaugh Las Deltas Unified School District implements DataDirector to provide teachers with fast, easy-to-understand analysis to identify achievement gaps in real time.

When the Firebaugh Las Deltas Unified School District became aware that its student information system did not meet some critical needs, it worked with DataDirector staff to implement a cross-platform data management and assessments solution. As a result, teachers were able to access the data they needed right in the classroom and in easy-to-understand chart and graph form for faster use. It also allowed teachers to - for the first time – drill into subgroups and immediately identify who was at risk and who was doing well based test scores.

Since the change, overall scores in the district are steadily increasing and two schools have been designated Program Improvement schools. One has already transitioned to “adequately yearly progress.”

“The instant feedback and the teachers’ comfort level with DataDirector have made all the difference, said Ted McDaniel, Director of Technology for the school district. “We used to see a lot of teaching happening, but not always learning. Now our teachers don’t have to wait weeks to see how the kids are doing. They can adjust rapidly, and learning improves right away.”

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global education leader and the world's largest publisher of educational materials for pre-K–12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit www.hmhpub.com.

U.S. Department of Education Report:

For additional information about “ Use of Education Data at the Local Level: From Accountability to Instructional Improvement," visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html#edtech