White Papers

• Longitudinal data systems in education - SAS
• Guide to Mathematics Intervention Solutions: A Roadmap for Student Success - Carnegie Learning
• Blended Learning: The Intersection of Online and Face-to-Face Instruction - Blackboard K-12
• The Case for Online Professional Development: eLearning Spending Strategies and ROI - Elluminate
• Improve Achievement with High-Performance Analysis Tools - GlobalScholar
• Performance Measurement: Measuring What Matters Most - Baldrige
• The Achilles Heel of Education and How to Fix It - APQC
• Building 21st Century Skills with Project Learning - Oracle

Longitudinal data systems in education: Leveraging the SAS® Business Analytics Framework to accelerate implementations and minimize risk

Sponsor: SAS Topic: Data-driven decision-making Posted: September 2009

This white paper discusses the drivers and the challenges in implementing a longitudinal data system. It then explores how, with SAS' Business Analytics Framework, information gaps among key educational agencies need no longer exist, and decision makers can be armed with the accurate data they need to make proactive decisions and effective education policies.

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Guide to Mathematics Intervention Solutions: A Roadmap for Student Success

Sponsor: Carnegie Learning Topic: Intervention Posted: September 2009

In this report, we will help navigate the complex and under-defined educational category of intervention solutions.

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Blended Learning: Where Online and Face-to-Face Instruction Intersect for 21st Century Teaching and Learning

Sponsor: Blackboard K-12 Topic: Alternative Instruction Posted: November 2009

Blended learning, the teaching practice that combines teaching methods from both face-to-face and online learning, is an established, rapidly growing model of instruction. It has proven highly effective in helping schools and districts address the challenges of student achievement, limited resources, and the expectations of 21st century learners.

Blended Learning: Where Online and Face-to-Face Instruction Intersect for 21st Century Teaching and Learning reviews the working definitions of blended learning, explores relevant efficacy data, recaps innovative and practical implementation models and provides profiles of several schools and districts that are experiencing success with their blended learning programs.

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The Case for Online Professional Development: eLearning Spending Strategies and ROI

Sponsor: Elluminate Topic: Professional Development Posted: November 2009

This whitepaper describes the value proposition of using web conferencing for school districts and state DOE professional development.

Plus learn more about how you can use ARRA 2009 funding for online PD, and demonstrate ROI from implementing a system-wide Elluminate web conferencing solution.

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(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Improve Achievement with High-Performance Analysis Tools

Sponsor: GlobalScholar Topic: Information Management Posted: November 2009

Research indicates that applying data to school leadership and classroom instruction can improve student achievement and transform teacher efficacy. Most schools have more data than their teachers or administrators use. The path forward begins with high-performance digital information management tools…as described in this paper, Better Performing Schools through Better Information Tools for Teachers and Students.

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Performance Measurement: Measuring What Matters Most

Sponsor: Baldrige National Quality Program Topic: Performance Measurement Posted: November 2009

This white paper looks at one of the most promising features of the Baldrige framework for K-12 education – an expanded idea of performance measurement focused on three questions: why should you measure, what should you measure, and how should you measure it? It also illustrates successful results some school districts have achieved.

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The Achilles Heel of Education and How to Fix It

Sponsor: APQC Education Topics: Education Reform, Process & Performance Management Posted: November 2009

Improving outcomes has long been the focus of education reform efforts in the U.S., with strict emphasis on improving test scores, graduation rates, teacher quality, and low performing schools. However, the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) reveals that an ‘outcomes-only’ focus has created a fundamental weakness in public education. The paper explores the problem and how it is being solved through an innovative pilot program called North Star that is achieving remarkable results in leading schools across the U.S.

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Building 21st Century Skills with Project Learning

Sponsor: Oracle Education Foundation Topics: Online learning Posted: November 2009

In project learning, students discover the meaning of what they learn by working together to solve complex, real-world problems, rather than being taught facts from books. A growing body of evidence indicates that project learning supports the development of critical skills students must have to meet the demands of the 21st century.

In response, the Oracle Education Foundation has developed an online learning platform called ThinkQuest to extend the benefits of project learning to classrooms globally. This paper draws on a broad international research base and case studies of actual classroom projects supported by ThinkQuest to illustrate both the theory and practice of 21st century teaching and learning.

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