Refresh

The word “refresh” is taking on a new meaning in RUSD. Refresh typically means to replenish or revive. In RUSD, we want to refresh our technology. We currently have computers in use at some schools that are more than 10 years old. In our Title elementary schools, we have new computers in many classrooms. In non-Title schools, such as our middle schools and high schools, many of our teachers do not have access to a computer. Many of our students in non-Title schools do not have access to a computer for word processing or data processing. It is difficult to imagine teaching writing or mathematics at the high school level without the use of a computer.

The RUSD Board of Education is considering “refreshing” all technology in Racine. The idea is to provide access to newer computers to all students, not just students in Title schools. The idea is to provide a computer for every teacher so teachers can use technology to teach, to grade, to write and to access the planned data warehouse. The refreshed technology will increase teacher capacity and reduce the time and labor needed to design instruction around student needs.

Refreshed technology will permit improved school security, student record-keeping, staff effectiveness, and internal and external communication. In short, new technology has the potential to improve teaching and learning so the goals of the North Star can be achieved.

Ready, Fire, Aim

Racine Unified School District faces significant challenges in improving achievement for all children. We know that our African-American, Latino, and poor children are achieving at levels below the state average. We know that there is a terrible “vision gap” between the North Star vision and where our children are currently functioning. In other words, all of our children are not career and college ready. Broadly speaking, our problem is that we are not “educating every child to succeed.”

But, such a broad and sweeping definition of the problem does not help us to solve the problem so more kids can succeed. So we need the specifics. We need to know which kids are succeeding, which kids are failing; which schools are successful, which schools are struggling; which programs are effective, which programs are not getting the expected results; what curriculum is working for different groups of children; what instructional practices are most effective with different types of children; what curricular objectives in reading, writing, mathematics, science, etc. contribute to the overall success of our children. What do we need to know about our children’s performance and our schools performance in order to improve student learning?

We do not know enough to help our children. Research has identified strategies that work in schools to improve student learning. We know what works, but we don’t know what our children need. We need the specifics. We need the details. We need data to help define the problem so that we can use proven strategies to help each child succeed. Without better data, our children and our schools will continue to struggle. That is why the first step toward the North Star is the development of a data warehouse that will assist in defining the problems facing our children and teachers.

The planning for a data warehouse in Racine Unified School District has begun. If the Board approves, work to establish a data warehouse will begin in the fall. Within one year, the school district will have a data warehouse that puts data in the hands of teachers, principals, and parents to help define the problems in the Racine Unified School District. When we understand the problem, we can fix it. When we can see the target clearly, we can aim at the target and improve our chances of hitting it. We can be more thoughtful and stop “firing before we aim.”

*Have a comment or wish to contact the Superintendent regarding this post? Directly email Dr. Shaw at: suptblog.comments@racine.k12.wi.us.

The Superintendent or district staff will try to respond to each e-mail received, so it is important that a valid name and e-mail address are associated with comments to ensure response.

Why Can’t We Be Like Case?

At a recent Parent Communicators Meeting, parents of students at Case High School proudly described the new Web site at Case and the increased access for parents to student records and student progress reports. Other parents immediately asked, “Why can’t we be like Case?” In Racine, all the high schools, most of the middle schools and five elementary schools do have Web sites. All of the Web sites could be improved to increase parent and teacher access to student information. Parents and teachers in the Kenosha, Milwaukee, Burlington, and many other school districts can access information about student progress.

At a recent meeting of 14 school districts from around the nation, I learned that many states and school districts have developed “data warehouses” that provide information about student test scores, report cards, school programs, and program effectiveness. These warehouses permit teachers and principals to analyze data to identify learning problems and evaluate suggested solutions. For example, principals and teachers and parents could ask, “Is 4-year-old kindergarten correlated to successful reading in third grade?” A data warehouse is the first step in moving toward the North Star. The development of a data warehouse could be supported in a large part by the stimulus funds available to the school district.

It is time for all schools in the Racine Unified School District to have Web sites to better communicate with our community. It is time for Racine Unified to have a data warehouse that provides teachers and parents with the information necessary to improve student learning. Why can’t all Racine schools provide the same tools and opportunities as other school districts? With the approval of the School Board, the help of stimulus funds, and the hard work of staff over the next two years, all schools in Racine Unified could be like Case, or even better.

*Have a comment or wish to contact the Superintendent regarding this post? Directly email Dr. Shaw at: suptblog.comments@racine.k12.wi.us.

The Superintendent or district staff will try to respond to each e-mail received, so it is important that a valid name and e-mail address are associated with comments to ensure response.