Learning Point Associates
We HELP the people who work in education find the LEARNING POINT FASTER, more often and for more students.
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District Improvement Audit
To improve student achievement, school districts need:
- High-quality information
- Guidance on how to use that information to achieve reform
- Situation-specific improvement plans that are embraced by parents, community leaders, and school and district officials
Learning Point Associates delivers district improvement audits that bring these missing pieces to schools and districts across the country to produce district-wide improvement plans that increase student achievement. We have extensive audit experience in districts across the U.S., as well as a U.S. territory, including districts with a large percentage of English language learners (ELLs) and students from low-income families.
Our Process
Our commitment to uncovering the root causes of a district's poor performance is apparent throughout all stages of the improvement audit. Our every step is guided by our understanding of the hard work invested by staff and our respect for their efforts. We begin by identifying, with the district, individuals who will serve as the district team, taking a central role throughout all stages of the audit. With the team, we determine the set of questions the audit will address. The review can be focused or comprehensive, investigating curriculum, instruction, and assessment, but also considering professional development, district planning and data use, and human capital. Staff members employ a variety of data collection methods to reveal a comprehensive picture of what is being taught, how it is being taught, and where it matches state curriculum standards.
Typically, we conduct an alignment study of each district's written curriculum against the state's content standards. We also review key district documentation to ascertain the formal policies, plans and priorities the district has in place, and determine the extent to which those initiatives have been implemented and monitored at the local level. Learning Point Associates staff members observe teachers in the classroom to see firsthand the teaching methods used and interview district and school personnel to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. In some cases, we conduct focus groups with parents to gain their perspective. We also train teachers on the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum survey tool in order to collect teacher-reported data on classroom instruction. These data are then mapped to the state content standards and state assessments.
The hallmark of the Learning Point Associates audit is the co-interpretationSM process, which culminates in a two-day meeting where we facilitate a review with the district team of reports compiled from the range of data collection methods. Throughout the audit, the district team has been developing a shared understanding of the key issues driving student performance. The co-interpretation process allows the district team to identify together where strengths and deficiencies exist and reach consensus on the priority areas to target for improvement.
Our work doesn't stop once the district team identifies their priorities. Learning Point Associates develops a customized set of research-based recommendations specific to each district. We then work with the team to create plans based on these recommendations that are actionable and include short- and long-term objectives and indicators to measure progress. We have done our job well when each district is able to implement the action plan and continue the improvement process after we leave.
To explore how our improvement audit process can help you, contact Gaye Zarazinski at 1-800-356-2735 or gaye.zarazinski@learningpt.org.