From Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES…
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS – School district leaders now have a powerful new tool to help them make the most of state assessment data. The Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) of Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES recently launched School Meter, a powerful web-based communication and analysis tool, created by Bruce Toll of Dark Horse Systems Inc. To date, 20 districts have signed up to use the analysis aid.

School Meter features comparative views of Regents and all NYSED assessments from grades 3 through 8, employing subgroup data to highlight how individual school districts are meeting the needs of all students. Up to three years of progress can be displayed for each district and subgroup based on grades 3 through 8 and Regents assessments.

Joan Thompson, director of The Center for Educational Leadership, says the important thing to emphasize is that School Meter is a leadership tool that both districts and building administrators can utilize to work proactively with their staff and communities.

“It can definitely be used as an instructional tool,” Ms. Thompson says, noting that users can compare specific subgroups to gauge progress of particular sets of students. “Districts can look at the data and do some ‘instructional wondering.’”

School Meter can also provide comparisons between individual school districts, or illustrate how one school district compares to others in a county, BOCES region, or the State of New York. Administrators can choose similar school districts to compare based on enrollment, per pupil cost, or percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunch. This head-to-head comparison tool allows the superintendent to easily identify and highlight a district’s strengths.

Ms. Thompson said School Meter has been received very favorably so far, and many districts throughout Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam counties have already signed up. After training this month, the program will be up and running, and Ms. Thompson hopes the program will be used statewide before long.

Kathy Conley from Tarrytown recently began using School Meter and appreciates that it gives district leaders independent and rapid access to information needed for daily decision-making. She has been working with the minutia of the state testing data for the past four years, and finds that School Meter offers a whole new perspective when viewing school data. “This is a tool that will be on the desktops of superintendents,” she said. “It will give them immediate answers to questions they may have when meeting with school boards or chambers of commerce. It provides more of a bird’s-eye view of district data making it very fast and easy to use.”

School Meter is delivered as a web application, so both the software and the assessment data are regularly updated as part of the service. It features password-protected access and three years of historical data

available at sign-up. New subscribers receive an initial half-day of training for up to four district office staff members, with sessions scheduled in July, October, and January. The service also includes phone support through the Center for Educational Leadership at P/NW BOCES. Custom support and services are available on a quote basis. Ms. Thompson also hopes to start a user group in the fall so that member organizations can see how others are using the program. Finally, School Meter group meetings, based on demand, will be offered to foster the sharing of best practices.

“This provides rapid access for the superintendent to compare his/her district’s performance to other districts’ performance throughout the state,” Ms. Conley said. “This hasn’t been available before and doesn’t require much training. It’s a really time-efficient way to get critical information.”

PHOTO CAPTION

Recently, at Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES in Yorktown, representatives from the Lakeland, Harrison, Ramapo, and North Salem school districts, were trained in the use of School Meter, under the auspices of BOCES’ Center for Educational Leadership and Director Joan Thompson (left of large screen).