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The Datause Website




In order to reach the No Child Left Behind goal of academic proficiency for all students, states need substantial knowledge and skills to improve their assessment and accountability systems. In 2005, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, WestEd and the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) joined together to form the Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center (AACC) to help states and districts reach this goal.

As one of its first major initiatives, the AACC recently announced the availability of a new Data Use for Continuous Quality Improvement website at http://datause.cse.ucla.edu/.

According to Margaret Heritage at CRESST who leads the AACC Data Use strand, the new web site contains four key components.

• A guide for the effective use of data to improve educational decision-making;
  
  
• A map of key capacities needed at each educational level to support effective data use;
  
  
• Standards and criteria for evaluating data tools and selecting diagnostic assessments;
  
  
• A comprehensive listing of research-based guidance on effective data use.
  
  

With development input from regional comprehensive centers, the website is already helping regional centers, states, and other education agencies to improve their use of data.

The AACC project is directed by Stanley Rabinowitz at WestEd while Joan Herman leads the CRESST efforts. Key activities include:

• Review, analysis, and dissemination of evidence-based resources linked to key NCLB initiatives and goals
  
  
• Synthesis of evidence in a few selected, high need NCLB areas
  
  
• Strategic responses to requests from Regional Comprehensive Centers or the U.S. Department of Education on high need NCLB areas
  
  

Contact Ron Dietel at 310-794-9168 or dietel@cse.ucla.edu for additional information. Or visit the AACC web site at http://www.aacompcenter.org.