THE WAY WE WORK ADAPT
ANALYZE
COLLABORATE
INNOVATE
COMMUNICATE
CREATE
PARTNER
EDUCATE
THE ACHIEVEMENT & ASSESSMENT INSTITUTE
ANNUAL REPORT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
RESEARCH
EVALUATE
2013-2014 1
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GUIDED BY B O L D A S P I R AT I O N S In its Bold Aspirations strategic plan, the University of Kansas (KU) has established six distinctive goals: energizing the educational environment; elevating doctoral education; driving discovery and innovation; engaging scholarship for public impact; developing excellence in people; and developing infrastructure and resources. As one of KU’s designated research centers, the Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI) is well positioned to help lead the way in this quest. But even more, AAI is prepared to lead because decades ago, our predecessor organizations, the Center for Educational Testing & Evaluation and the Institute for Educational Research & Public Service, started us down the path of engaging scholarship for public good. Both organizations carried distinguished track records of successfully building partnerships and programs supporting the achievement of young children, schoolaged children, adults, and publicly funded agencies. When the two came together to create AAI, it only made sense to use what we were already doing, what was already part of our missions, as our focus for who and what we were becoming. By dividing into four distinct centers and sharing ideas and resources under the Institute
umbrella, we aimed to sharpen our focus and expand our impact. We participate in a diverse array of research at AAI, but our work all connects to expanding the University’s intellectual capital while making positive differences here and now. Our research centers partner with numerous agencies whose goals are to improve the lives of children and adults through academics, employment, career advancement, or building healthy environments, as well as to enhance the capacity of organizations that help children, adults, and communities succeed. We want to invest our intellectual capital in the smartest possible ways. We want our faculty, staff, and students — particularly graduate students — to confront great challenges, combine expertise, and create sustainable solutions for current societal needs. The idea of engaged scholarship is positioned front and center as part of what AAI seeks to accomplish in the world of research. This, our first annual report, highlights a few of the many great stories generated by our collective work. We’re off to a fine beginning, and we eagerly anticipate what is to come. The way forward promises many opportunities and ample challenges, but our resolve is strong. KU is our place to stand. Watch us as we move the world! NEAL KINGSTON, DIRECTOR, ACHIEVEMENT
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& ASSESSMENT INSTITUTE 3
Established in July 2012 and elevated to the status of a university designated research center in July 2013, the Achievement & Assessment Institute serves as the umbrella organization for four research centers at the University of Kansas: Agile Technology Solutions, the Center for Educational Opportunity Programs, the Center for Educational Testing & Evaluation, and the Center for Public Partnerships & Research.
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AAI
hile the Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI) is the most recent research center designated by the University of Kansas, its roots reach back 31 years. AAI grew from the merger of the Center for Educational Testing & Evaluation (CETE), established in 1983, and the Institute for Educational Research & Public
Service, established in 1997. Both organizations brought successful records of building partnerships and programs, especially with Kansas state agencies. That legacy continues in AAI, as the work of our four research centers benefits children, adults, communities, and publicly funded agencies at the local, state, and national levels.
CETE develops and administers educational testing programs that translate leadingedge research into real-world solutions. These programs assist teachers in identifying strategies to help students reach their best potential and to make testing accessible and applicable for students of all ability levels. The states of Kansas and Alaska entrust their public-school assessment programs to CETE, as do the 19 member states in the Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium, a CETE-developed alternate-assessment system for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The Center for Educational Opportunity Programs (CEOP) helps students overcome academic, economic, social, and cultural barriers to higher education by supporting a wide spectrum of learners and providing counseling, academic instruction, tutoring, financial aid application assistance, and other forms of educational support to students and their families. CEOP partners with more than 70 community agencies and schools to serve students at the University of Kansas, as well as youth, adults, and veterans across the state of Kansas. The Center for Public Partnerships and Research (CPPR) helps partners address complex social issues through research and evaluation, systems development, professional development, technical assistance, and performance-management systems. CPPR currently has more than 45 grants in the areas of early childhood, child welfare, child-abuse prevention, K-12 education, and at-risk families. Staff members have extensive experience working collaboratively with state, federal, and community-based organizations to drive research, build capacity, and make big changes possible. Strong partnerships with the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas State Department of Education, and the Kansas Health Foundation result in innovations, positive change, and support for at-risk children, youth, and families across the state. Agile Technology Solutions (ATS) partners with the three other centers to deliver innovative technology solutions to public agencies. The Agile Technology team analyzes agency needs, then designs, tests, hosts, and supports the resultant Web applications. ATS also provides IT support for AAI staff. 5
SO WHO ARE WE? The answers are embedded in the ways we work. We work to build partnerships, products, and programs in educational practice, assessment, and evaluation. We work to help students from all backgrounds and all abilities explore and discover pathways to success. We work to provide the research and backbone
support that enable public agencies to thrive. These principles of service, inclusion, and opportunity guide and unite our collective enterprise and lead us to build even better ways to serve our many and diverse constituents and communities.
As CEOP Director Ngondi Kamatuka says,
WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO ASSEMBLE A STAFF THAT REALLY BELIEVES IN WHAT WE DO. EVERYONE BELIEVES IN OUR MISSION, IN OUR CALL. THEY REGULARLY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. THAT’S THE KEY TO BEING SUCCESSFUL IN OUR ENDEAVORS. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ALL WANT TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND KNOW THAT WE DID THE BEST THAT WE COULD. WHEN WE BRING THAT COMMITMENT TO OUR WORK, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS AND IMAGINE AND PURSUE EVEN GREATER THINGS.
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ANNUAL REPORTS PRESENT PAST
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BUT ALSO LOOK FORWARD
F U T U R E E N D E AVO R S
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WHO WE ARE
WE ALSO CON TEMPLATE
WHO WE WILL
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LEADERSHIP NEAL KINGSTON, AAI Dr. Kingston began his career as a classroom teacher, also working summers with students with significant cognitive disabilities. He has subsequently worked in large-scale assessment for 32 years as a psychometrician, test developer, systems developer, and executive. Dr. Kingston also holds an appointment as a professor of psychology and research in KU’s School of Education. “AAI has been founded in order to provide a platform for engaged scholarship—a way to rapidly and effectively translate research into real-world solutions. Within our centers, we are looking for synergies with our partners and with our faculty, staff, and graduate students. We are willing to try new things, to take risks in pursuit of innovative solutions to complex problems. We seek opportunities to encourage people to think about engaged scholarship for the rest of their careers. We want to support research of both shortand long-term natures. We are interested in training graduate students for their professional careers, whether they be in universities or in organizations that take the skills we have developed in them and use them.”
NGONDI KAMATUKA, CEOP Dr. Kamatuka has worked at the University of Kansas since 1987. He has earned an international reputation as an expert in how to serve students who have been underrepresented in higher education, whether because of family histories, economic circumstances, or the fact that they are members of underrepresented minority groups. “I look at who I am today. I came from nothing. People of goodwill took an interest in me as a refugee in Zambia and found opportunities for me to come to the wonderful state of Kansas. I did my undergraduate education in a small town in Kansas, where I learned about my new culture, including square dancing. From there I came to the University of Kansas, where I did my master’s and my PhD, and I found my true niche in these programs. This is who I am. All the students in our CEOP programs, they are who I am. They represent me. I take this seriously. It’s a small part that I play in life, but hopefully I am making a positive difference in the lives of others.”
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MARIANNE PERIE, CETE Dr. Perie has more than 20 years of experience in developing K-12 assessments, accountability systems, test-validity evaluation, and performance standards. She has provided technical assistance and assisted states in building valid, reliable, and equitable assessments and accountability systems. “We have a sincere belief in the idea that systems work better when they’re built from the ground up. That’s not how large-scale assessment tends to work. We believe that involving as many teachers as you can, involving communities, involving parents, is such an important piece to make sure you create the best assessment. This approach also helps us attain the buy-in from the field that this really is the best assessment because they’ve been a part of its development. We make sure we get out into the communities and have teachers write items, have teachers review items, have teachers and local authors write passages—all of that helps with making sure we get something that’s genuine, that makes sense for our community.”
JACQUELINE COUNTS, CPPR Dr. Counts has served as principal investigator on numerous early-childhood, systems-building, accountability, and evaluation projects, including the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems evaluation, Project LAUNCH, Community-Based Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, several National Governors Association early-childhood grants, and others. “We operate from a complexity framework and see everything as connected. We use our knowledge, skills, and commitment to create small ripples that lead to big changes. We look for intersections between research, policy, and practice to enhance the direct service that our partners provide. Relationships are key, and we strive to be trusted partners. Four rules of engagement guide how we operate and live our mission. Those are to be accountable to each other, to leave it better than we found it, to have the freedom to fail, and to work with the willing. We bring grit and a sense of urgency to work towards sustainable solutions for at-risk children, youth, and families.”
KARTHICK PALANISWAMY, ATS Palaniswamy started his career as a software consultant working on enterprise-class, product-development projects for Fortune 500 companies, and later led the development teams at Intuit and CTB/McGraw Hill. His areas of expertise include high-volume, highly scalable, cross-platform product development using Java/J2EE, HTML5, and other open-source technologies. “By employing an agile development philosophy, we collaborate closely with our clients to deliver working products. This approach emphasizes individuals and interactions over processes. We can be nimble, responsive, and evolve products over multiple releases. We build things in such a way that they can be immediately tested, and they can be used in production. Being agile means we are continuously seeking to refine and improve on our work. We believe it is the best path and our people are motivated and inspired to work this way.” 9
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FLE XI B LE W OR K PLACE R E FLE CTS GROUP ’ S AGI LE DE VE LOPM E NT P HI LOSOP HY
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t’s a Friday afternoon at Agile Technology Solutions (ATS), and wheels of change are in motion. Operations Manager Nicholas Studt gathers team members in the center of their 5,000-square-foot, openly configured workspace and quickly conveys the game plan for the group’s latest shift.
It’s a reconfiguration that is repeated, on average, about four times a year, and physically mirrors the nimble and responsive project-management methodology ATS uses to create innovative, large-scale assessment programs, online test-delivery systems, and other technology tools for the Achievement & Assessment Institute’s four centers. 10
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Moments later, the group is literally on a roll: Instead of traditional desks and cubicles or individual offices, each employee commands a 30-by-60-inch table, office chair, and two-drawer file cabinet, all of which sport wheels to allow for quick and easy transformation of teams to meet project needs.
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“We need a collaborative work area,” Studt says, “because while this week a particular team is a certain size, next week it might grow or shrink by several people, depending on where we are in the product-development process.” Since November 2012, ATS’ team of computer programmers, business analysts, quality assurance specialists, and operations and support staff has occupied this large space in the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America building in west Lawrence. Although four traditional meeting rooms with floor-to-ceiling walls line the edge of the massive, light-filled room, most of the space is open, with 20 six-foot-high, double-sided whiteboards on wheels separating groups of tables. A white noise generator, a feature of the building, helps to muffle conversations and prevent individual groups from disrupting one another. “Agile development means something is always changing,” says Senior Programmer Biyatpragyan Mohanty. “Because of that, we regularly reorganize. Agile philosophy says you need to be flexible. I’ve moved around to pretty much every area of this hall. It’s an excellent environment for collaborating and creating.”
The space receives positive reviews from Richard Branham, a KU professor of industrial design who has developed collaborative workspaces around the world.
“ C O L L A B O R AT I O N I S T Y P I C A L LY T H E WEAKEST LINK IN THE SYSTEM,” B R A N H A M S AY S , “ B E C A U S E P E O P L E D O N ’ T PA Y A T T E N T I O N T O T H E E X P E R I E N C E W O R K E R S A R E H AV I N G O F T H E I R W O R K E N V I R O N M E N T. T H I S W O R K S PA C E I S A T T E N T I V E T O THE NEEDS OF THE WORKERS AND C A N B E E A S I LY A D A P T E D W H E N C H A N G E I S N E C E S S A RY. ”
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Harmonic Convergence Researchers prove link between music participation and improved academic achievement and engagement
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he song remained the same for decades: While anecdotal evidence and national research suggested that increased music participation might have important direct and indirect effects on positive outcomes in student achievement and engagement, a lack of quantitative and qualitative results made for a muddled melody.
But now that tune has changed for the better, thanks to two KU researchers who have established the connection between music involvement and improved scholarship for a baseline study commissioned by Nashville’s Music Makes Us initiative. Becky Eason, associate director of KU’s Center for Public Partnerships & Research (CPPR) and Christopher Johnson, a professor of music education and therapy and director of KU’s Music Research Institute, examined four years of district-wide data on the 2012 graduating class, as well as student surveys and focus groups, to determine what influence music can have on students. Analysis showed that students engaged in music programs outperformed their peers on every measured indicator: grade-point average, graduation rate, ACT scores, attendance, and discipline referrals. Overall, the study demonstrated that the more a student participates in music, the more positive these benefits become. 12 THE WAY WE WORK
CPPR
“The results of this study strongly support the notion that education advocates should also be advocates for music education,” said Johnson. “It has been stated many times that the reason that kids in music do better in school is because the smart kids participate in music.
“This is the first study that has ever taken those fourth-grade test scores and used them to even the playing field, allowing us to see what happened as the students progressed from fifth grade to twelfth grade. The results noted in this study were calculated after the initial differences in the fourth-grade test scores were removed from the equation.” Johnson analyzed quantitative data about high-school music participation, school engagement and academic achievement for 6,006 students in the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools class of 2012 cohort. Eason conducted qualitative surveys and focus groups with current fifth- through twelfth-grade students. Analyzed together, the data establish a benchmark—a picture of students who have been enrolled in middle- and high-school music and the potential impact of music study on student engagement and student academic achievement.
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“One of the key findings that shouldn’t get lost is how important music is for creating a sense of belonging and purpose for the students who participate,” said Eason. “They identify themselves as musicians, as being in the band or chorus, and they’re motivated to come to school so that they can participate in music. The students also believe that music participation teaches them skills like discipline and concentration that they can use to their benefit throughout the school days.” Eason said the project was also a great example of how units across the University of Kansas can work together; the study marks the fourth research collaboration between CPPR and the School of Music’s Music Research Institute. “Professor Johnson brings credentials in music education and the necessary quantitative skills to the research,” Eason said. “I have a background in qualitative research and the staff to administer the project. Between the two of us, we were able to accomplish a pretty remarkable study.”
About Music Makes Us Launched in fall 2012, Music Makes Us is a K–12 initiative focusing on music literacy and student participation. A joint effort of Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville’s Mayor Karl Dean, music industry leaders, and community advocates, Music Makes Us is intended to strengthen traditional school music while adding a contemporary curriculum that embraces new technologies and reflects a diverse musical landscape. The initiative has augmented traditional school music with contemporary, culturally relevant music offerings (e.g., bluegrass, hip-hop, rock) as well as real-life music industry experiences (e.g., record-label production and audioengineering and audio-technology programs). Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools is the nation’s 42nd largest district, with more than 83,000 students.
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ONE
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IDENTIFYING
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I N C H E R O K E E M AY H E L P E D U C AT O R S B E T T E R U N D E R S TA N D T H E N E E D S O F L I N G U I S T I C A L LY D I V E R S E S T U D E N T S
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or researcher Lizette Peter, understanding and revitalizing indigenous languages such as Cherokee is about much more than preserving culture. Throughout her research, saving endangered languages and educating teachers how to effectively integrate students’ native languages into classroom instruction have gone hand-in-hand. “It’s all about educational equity and ensuring that students receive the best possible education,” Peter says. “If students have difficulties because they are trying to learn through a language that isn’t their first or primary language, chances are they’re going to fall behind academically.”
“THE FEATURES OF CHEROKEE TONE A R E U N I Q U E ,” P E T E R S AYS . “ TO N E CHANGES THE MEANING OF A WORD, A N D O N E WO R D C A N C A R RY TO N S OF MEANING. THIS IS WHAT MAKES IT BOTH INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING FOR SECOND-LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
During the project’s first year, Peter and other researchers from the University of Kansas, the University of Oklahoma, and the Cherokee Nation worked with native speakers and proficient second-language learners to identify distinct tones used in Cherokee; they recorded audio of these Peter, an associate professor in the Depart- sounds to accompany entries in the Cheroment of Curriculum and Teaching in KU’s kee Electronic Dictionary. School of Education, has worked with the Cherokee Nation since 2000 to help Without documenting these sounds, Peter revitalize and document the Cherokee lan- notes the way that Cherokee is spoken guage. In November 2013, she completed could ultimately change. a two-year collaborative research project on documenting Cherokee tone and vowel “If second-language learners don’t learn length. The Achievement and Assessment to use distinctive features of Cherokee Institute administered Peter ’s project tone and vowel length, they will ultigrant from the Documenting Endangered mately disappear from the language and L a n g u a g e s d i v i s i o n o f t h e N a t i o n a l Cherokee will reflect more of the intonaScience Foundation. tion of English,” Peter says. “Our hope is that the awareness raised by the project Identifying tonal differences in Cherokee and the techniques developed to teach is crucial to maintaining an accurate tone will be reflected in second-language understanding of the spoken language. users’ pronunciation.
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“USING CHILDREN’S ANCESTRAL LANGUAGES In addition to recording these sounds, the project team worked with native speakers to indicate tone within the Cherokee writing system, known as the Cherokee Syllabary, rather than the International Phonetic Alphabet. During the second year of the project, Peter and her colleagues developed materials and techniques to help second-language learners hear and pronounce the distinct tones in Cherokee, something Peter says is difficult even for native speakers. Many of the students who used these materials were in Cherokee Studies at Northeastern State University (NSU), and were working toward Cherokee language teaching certificates. Peter says she hopes these students will use the resources the project provided to teach future generations of Cherokee speakers the correct uses of tone and vowel length.
AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AND INCLUSION OF CHILDREN’S CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES WITHIN CLASSROOM DISCOURSES GIVES THEM A POWERFUL VOICE AND PROMOTES THEIR ACADEMIC SUCCESS,” PETER SAYS. Peter’s work with the Cherokee Immersion School and her recent research on Cherokee tone and vowel length will soon help her assist Kansas educators. Topeka Public Schools recently implemented a SpanishEnglish dual-language immersion program for preschool through twelfth grade. Peter has collaborated with KU’s Center for Latin American Studies and Topeka Public Schools on a grant proposal to help dual-language teachers develop curriculum. Peter says this project, like her Cherokee tone and vowel length research, will help further her goal of preparing teachers to work with linguistically diverse students. She says that students learning English as a second language should not have to stop speaking their native languages, or bear the full responsibility of learning a new language while learning new content.
Some graduates from the NSU program will become teachers at the Cherokee Immersion Charter School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where Peter has done a lot of previous work revitalizing the Cherokee language. Students at the school, which teaches preschool through sixth grade, speak primarily Cherokee while learning grade-level content in addition to Cherokee “The only way to do that is to value their language and culture. first languages and help them learn new content through a process that is more adPeter says these types of language-immer- ditive than subtractive,” Peter says. “That sion programs can immensely benefit can mean using Spanish as a springboard student learning. for learning English.
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This image depicts the Cherokee Syllabary. Unlike the English alphabet, in which each letter can have multiple sounds, each character in the Cherokee Syllabary represents a unique syllable.
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TO THE
S TA R S THROUGH
DIFFICULTIES McNair Scholars Program helps students overcome
obstacles and realize graduate-school dreams
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elinda Hinojos possesses an enviable resume, with bachelor ’s and master ’s degrees from the University of Kansas and a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, where she now works as a psychologist in the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services. She also serves as the Latino outreach specialist and liaison for the university’s federal TRIO Programs. Yet Hinojos is equally proud of what she calls her “uncut” resume, the one listing the challenges, the setbacks, and the failures that she faced en route to her successes. She shares common ground with so many who participate in the McNair Scholars Program through the Center for Educational Opportunity Programs (CEOP), and when she returned to KU to receive the program’s 2014 Outstanding Achievement & Service Award, she spoke of completing her freshman year with a 1.75 grade-point average, of her fears that she didn’t belong in college, and of the people and programs that helped her overcome that tough start.
“I can tell you with confidence that my journey to receiving my master’s and PhD would not have been possible without the McNair Scholars Program,” Hinojos said. “They saw something in me long before I could see that in myself. They took a chance on me, and their support and guidance have meant everything. The program, established at KU in 1992, is funded by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the federal TRIO Programs. KU’s program is one of 185 Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Programs nationwide, providing low-income, first-generation undergraduates with the necessary skills, resources, and support to prepare and earn placement in graduate programs to pursue doctoral degrees. By preparing students from groups traditionally underrepresented in graduate education for doctoral study, the program helps ensure that the next generation of American faculty members represents the diversity of society at large.
“Qualifying for the program indicates strong academic potential and deep commitment to a rigorous and challenging academic track,” said McNair Scholars Program Director Mulu Negash, an alumna of the program. “We watch these students grow intellectually and advance in their fields of study, and while their roads to success are not easy, their time at KU and with McNair teaches them how to rise above difficult
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challenges to accomplish goals.
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Her friend and sorority sister Aurora Marin, already in the McNair program, suggested Hinojos apply. That led to an interview. “I was dressed casually, wearing shorts and an old HALO T-shirt, with my hair braided and tucked into a bandana,” Hinojos said. “It wasn’t because I didn’t care; it was because I didn’t know any different. No one had ever told me how to dress for an interview or how to prepare. “I’m not sure what they were thinking or what exactly I said that day, but I do know that being accepted into the McNair Scholars program truly changed the course of my life. McNair provided me with the awareness, knowledge, and skills of what graduate school was about, and most importantly, provided me with the tools that I needed to get there. They helped me with GRE prep, research and presentation experience, and yes, how to dress and prepare for an interview.”
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Indeed, McNair Scholars receive paid research opportunities, faculty mentors, a GRE preparation course, tutoring, and assistance with graduate-school applications. Participants identify and read literature in their research areas, refine research methods and academic-writing skills, learn about the nature and rigors of research and teaching careers, and build professional networks with scholars in their fields. “They may forget the various theories and systems they learn, or our conversations and presentations with McNair, but I am confident that they retain valuable critical thinking, research, and scholarly skills,” Negash said. “Our aim for this program includes helping individuals refine their resiliency and tenacity, develop resourcefulness, and imagine greater futures than what they otherwise might have thought possible.” This means individuals like Belinda Hinojos. Her father finished fifth grade before family obligations forced him to work the fields in his native Mexico. Her mother dropped out of school after eighth grade, also because she had to take a job. Hinojos is the only one of their five children who had the opportunity to attend college. She reminds herself of this daily.
“In a lot of ways I’m in my dream job. I work with underrepresented students and groups. I work to create a more diverse and inclusive campus. I get to nate reed
inojos knows about rising above difficult challenges. Encouraged by her family and friends to persevere, she returned to KU for her sophomore year and received tutoring and academic support from Supportive Educational Services, another of CEOP’s TRIO Programs. She also joined Sigma Lambda Gamma, a historically Latina-based sorority, and became involved in KU’s Hispanic American Leadership Organization (HALO). She took a job in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. She turned around her classroom struggles.
mentor students like myself. I feel truly blessed.
THE MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT AT KU IN 1992, THE MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM HAS HAD 263
I N 2 2 Y E A R S AT K U
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE, WITH 16 NEW SCHOLARS JOINING DURING THE 2013-2014 ACADEMIC YEAR.
Scholars have earned bachelor’s degrees
Scholars have earned master’s degrees
Scholars have earned terminal/professional degrees
Scholars have earned PhDs
MD JD PharmD PTD VMD EdD
Academic interests represented in the program are wide ranging. Fields of study in the 2014 group of students include engineering, applied behavioral science, social welfare, psychology, biology, anthropology, political science, public administration, Spanish, clinical laboratory science, and behavioral neuroscience.
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Students Luis Rodriguez, Kossivi Esse, and Hector Bernal completed the KU Medical Center internship program over the summer of 2014, facilitated through the K–12 initiative program. This program, among other K–12 initiative opportunities, influenced Bernal’s decision to study technology and public health.
The Kansas Enrichment Network helps educational enhancement programs improve college and career opportunities for Kansas students
Hector Bernal had just begun his freshman year
“I don’t think I would have combined my interest in at Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC), technology with community health without these but he already had a clear vision for his career path. programs,” Bernal says. “Participating in these programs has helped me understand all the different “I want to combine my passions for health and tech- social issues that are occurring in the world.” nology to become a computer engineer and design programs for hospitals and health organizations,” All three of these programs are offered through the K–12 Initiative, an educational partnership of Bernal said. Kansas City Kansas Public Schools, the Office of This is a path that Bernal says he would not have Cultural Enhancement and Diversity, the KU School considered without his experiences in summer 2014 of Medicine, and the KCKCC Science, Math, and as a KU Medical Center research intern. His past Technology Department. participation in the Summer Science Residential Academy on the KU Lawrence campus and the Kansas City Kansas Saturday Science and Math Academy at KCKCC affected his path, as well.
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The KCK Organic Teaching Gardens is another valuable program supported by the K–12 Initiative. The program serves three middle schools and four elementary schools in inner-city Kansas City, Kansas, and helps connect students and teachers with gardens at their schools using science and nutrition. Students such as Bernal visit these sites weekly to help with planting, watering, harvesting, and educating.
The K–12 Initiative is just one of many programs offering expanded learning opportunities for students that the Kansas Enrichment Network (KEN) supports. The Network, an organization housed in the Center for Public Partnerships and Research (CPPR), provides training opportunities, and resources for out-of-school educational programs to increase program quality and establish support from community members and policymakers.
“Through Marcia Dvorak, the Kansas Enrichment Network became a source of support when funds were being cut nationally, regionally, and locally to K–12 out-of-school programs,” says Marcia Pomeroy, director of the K–12 Initiative. “Thanks to the Kansas Enrichment Network, our K–12 Initiative became valued by our parent institution and we became visible on the statewide stage.”
“Our role is to support and increase these types of programs by helping them understand quality programming elements, providing training opportunities, helping promote their programs so community members and policy makers recognize their value, and assisting them with sustainability issues so they can keep their doors open,” says KEN Director Marcia Dvorak.
The Network also connected the K–12 Initiative with funding through the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. The Network’s reach extends beyond linking programs to funding sources; it also helps students build a network of mentors and peers to help them succeed after high school. Bernal’s experience exemplifies this. His participation in K–12 Initiative programs not only The programs offered through the K–12 Initiative are provided him with the skills to pursue his passion a prime example of how KEN helps connect students, for technology, but also inspired him to employ educators, and communities to generate sustainable that passion by giving back to other students and improvement in Kansas education. the Kansas City community.
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Bernal brings a shot into focus while fellow student Luis Rodriguez looks on. Both students participated in the K–12 Initiative’s Media Project through Kansas City Kansas Community College, which taught them how to write, film, and produce public service announcements about health disparities in the Kansas City area.
Through the K–12 Initiative Media Project, Bernal was one of several high school students who worked with professional artists and communicators at KCKCC every Wednesday after school to write, film, and produce public service announcements. The announcements, which aired on local cable channels focused on health disparities in the Kansas City area. In addition to conducting health research, directing a film on autism awareness, and learning how to edit footage, Bernal served as a project leader, mediating for students with differing ideas and ensuring that everyone pitched in to make the project a success.
“Interacting with new people and learning how to deal with differences is a pre-college experience most students don’t have,” says Bernal. “Through these programs I’ve been able to develop better communication skills and make connections.” As Bernal prepared to start courses at KCKCC, he remained dedicated to the K–12 Initiative, serving as a college intern for the Saturday Academy— something he says older students in the program inspired him to do.
“ WA T C H I N G H O W M U C H T H E Y E N J OY E D G I V I N G
“I gained tremendous leadership skills by helping out students who were still learning,” Bernal says. This year, Bernal served as a senior mentor at the Summer Academy, where he won several awards for academic improvement and technology projects. Bernal says mentoring and connecting with fellow students is one of the most helpful aspects of K–12 Initiative programs. 24
B AC K WA S I N S P I R A T I O N F O R M E T O G I V E M Y T I M E A N D G O O U T O F M Y WAY T O H E L P T H E S E P R O G R A M S A F T E R A L L T H E Y H A V E G I V E N T O M E ,” B E R NA L S AYS . “ H AV I N G S T U D E N T L E A D E R S W H O ARE A FEW YEARS OLDER IS A CRITICAL ASPECT O F T H E K – 1 2 I N I T I AT I V E , B E CAU S E YO U CA N R E A C H S T U D E N T S O N A M O R E P E R S O N A L L E V E L .”
douglas walker douglas walker
As part of the closing ceremony for the KUMC Medical Camp and Internships program, Rodriguez and Bernal presented their research project, “Educating About Sleep Deprivation and its Effects on the Body.”
During their summer internship, students learned and practiced basic clinical skills; here, Bernal pricked Esse’s finger to check his glucose level.
25
26 THE WAY WE WORK
CETE
ADDRESSING UNIQUE LEARNING STRUGGLES WITH DIGNITY
Dynamic Learning Maps™ project ushers in a new approach to teaching and assessing our most significantly challenged students
For more than a decade, Karen Raines has taught special-education English language arts (ELA) in Smithville, Missouri, public schools. In summer 2013, she joined dozens of teacher colleagues as an item writer for the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM®) Alternate Assessment System Consortium. Her experience creating DLM test questions transformed her teaching.
“I feel like I learned a new language that students with significant disabilities understand. I’ve learned how to simplify language while maintaining the integrity of the standards I'm teaching. In other words, instead of 'dumbing down' the curriculum, I'm able to teach in a language that my students can comprehend. I find that the same concepts apply to most of the special-education population.”
dustin johnson
A typical Individualized Education Program accommodation for students with significant disabilities, she says, is to modify tests by simply shortening the answer options and removing written responses.
The DLM Consortium began in 2010 with 11 state-education agencies (SEAs); by summer of 2014, participation had nearly doubled to 19 member states. Funded by a five-year, $22 million “This doesn't give a clear understanding grant from the U.S. Department of what a student knows; it just suppos- of Education’s Office of Special edly makes it easier,” Raines says. “I Education Programs — one of the find that students shut down as soon as largest awards in University of they see such a test because they either Kansas history — the Consortium don't understand the format, or they is led by the Center for Educationrealize it is a chopped-up test. al Testing & Evaluation (CETE). 27
The aim was to create a new way for students with significant cognitive disabilities to demonstrate their learning throughout the school year. Nearly five years later, the project is ready for implementation. By AAI Director Neal Kingston, who leads the project, integrating assessment with instruction has long likened DLM to a Human Genome Project during the year and providing year-end for education. The comparison seems apt: The map assessment, the DLM system maps student charts more than 4,000 ELA and math skills that learning aligned with college and career students should master by high-school graduation readiness standards in ELA and mathemat- and nearly 9,000 pathways, or connections, between ics. The system is flexible and inclusive — those skills. When a student has trouble mastering a students who also have hearing or visual skill, teachers can use the map to track and identify disabilities, and/or neuromuscular, ortho- the gap in the student’s knowledge. pedic, or other motor disabilities can take the tests, which allow for the "This is the start of something that I expect will evenuse of common assistive technolo- tually change education in significant and positive gies in addition to keyboard-and- ways," Kingston says. "To help students succeed, mouse and touch-screen technology. you need a road map. That's what we're about." “Rather than imposing one approach to how students with significant cognitive disabilities learn — or one theory of teaching and learning — from the ground up, DLM has been developed with an understanding that teachers must approach teaching in multiple ways if students are going to learn,” says Karen Erickson, DLM Associate Director for Professional Development. Beginning in March 2015 and continuing through the spring, testing is scheduled to begin in 16 of the 19 member states. Field tests in spring 2014 gave thousands of students and teachers their first experience with the assessment, and the outcomes helped developers identify, assess, and address areas requiring attention. Teachers such as Raines gave high marks to DLM’s approach to tracking the complex and interconnected ways their students learn.
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Associate Director Meagan Karvonen leads the DLM team map, test-development, and research efforts with a team of 60 professionals. “Students in this population were excluded for the longest time from opportunities educationally, and even once they were included in typical educational settings and were required to have access to academic instruction, they still were largely excluded from policy discussions designed to improve educational programs,” Karvonen says. “That exclusion puts them on a path where there are sustained low expectations and low outcomes — and ultimately lowered quality of life.” Karvonen indicates that DLM specifically provides a richer, integrated system that builds the capacity for teachers and families to help students achieve more than they have in the past. “Because this assessment is tied more clearly to instruction,” she says, “we now have descriptions of what students can do, and we can see the path they need to be on toward a longer trajectory. It’s not something we’ve ever had for these kids.
dustin johnson
“The students aren’t overwhelmed by the questions, and the assessment results are a better indication of what the student knows, not what he or she doesn’t know, which is central to DLM’s philosophy,” Raines says. “Also, students tend to appreciate an entirely different assessment more than a modified regular one. I believe DLM addresses their unique learning struggles with dignity.”
“We use a driving analogy to describe moving kids through Teachers such as Raines, and their students, learning maps. It’s interconnected knowledge skills and under- already see the benefits. standings that students need to reach greater academic achievement. So there are multiple pathways to get to “This year, I have four students who have significant that bigger goal, and there are smaller stops along the cognitive disabilities and I've administered the way to make sure that students are on track toward DLM testing to them,” Raines says. “One student that goal. The learning map provides an infrastructure in particular stands out as benefiting from this that supports people being on track for those goals.” testing. This student has a traumatic brain injury. He has very limited verbal communication but is Kingston hopes that the Dynamic Learning Maps able to express himself in alternate methods such approach will eventually expand to be used with all as gestures, use of an iPad, and some sign language. students. “There is interest already in such an expansion,” he says. “but we will always maintain a focus on helping students “He is aware of other students, wants to be like with significant cognitive disabilities and their teachers. It starts with them, and was so excited to take the assessment improving the lives of these children. It starts by providing models on the computer. The items were similar to his for teachers—what can be done, how children can learn better, and academic instruction, which made the whole process less stressful. He proudly told everyone more. It starts by giving children control over their lives." around him how he took a test on the computer. He was excited to take an assessment, when most kids groan about that.” 29
arthick Palaniswamy’s software-development team at Agile Technology Solutions (ATS) has no use for clunky systems or lengthy development windows. With a project-management methodology that demands agility, ingenuity, and speed— turning out freshly tuned product iterations every two weeks and new releases every six to eight weeks—they require collaborative, flexible, and progressive problem-solvers.
“ W E WA N T T O R E M O V E I M P E D I M E N T S T O T R Y I N G N E W I D E A S , ” PA L A N I S WA M Y S A Y S . “ W E WA N T T O B E I N F O R WA R D M O T I O N C O N S TA N T L Y. ” Four central principles guide this work:
Respond to change rather than adhere to a strict plan. Deliver working software and applications that contain core requirements. Collaborate with clients consistently. Emphasize individuals and interactions over established processes.
30 THE WAY WE WORK
ATS & CPPR
The ATS team employs these principles to create in- “We’re extremely excited and optimistic about the novative, large-scale assessment programs, online positive impact DAISEY may have for these and other test-delivery systems, and other technology tools for programs,” Garstka says. “We have found that many the Achievement & Assessment Institute’s (AAI) other agencies or programs lacked some really important three centers. The group analyzes needs, then designs, infrastructure that would help them better understand tests, hosts, and supports the resultant web applications. their successes and challenges, and would better align their strategies for improvement. DAISEY is intended “We start small,” Palaniswamy says. “We to help inform their practices and move have a list of requirements that we know them toward better outcomes. DAISEY must be implemented, and we build provides common measures for developthose features so that they are usable in ment, parenting, and protective factors. production, so that they can be tested Ultimately, it should help us more clearly right away. The basic core features are understand investments in early-childbuilt out, it goes into production, we get hood programs.” feedback from the end user, we make changes, and we continue to fine-tune ATS delivered the “beta” product in just the iterations. In this way, we can be responsive to four months’ time; eight months into the partnership changing needs.” with CPPR, DAISEY was ready for its first use in the field. During the DAISEY 2.0 pilot period in June 2014, Palaniswamy noted that during a four-year period, Early Head Start Programs across the state successfully ATS’s responsiveness had fostered more than 100 entered 7,000 child profiles and 2,500 caregiver profiles. product releases. Although the majority of that work centered on products related to assessments, a project “These are services for low-income families, and with the Center for Public Partnerships & Research DAISEY is potentially a game changer in how the service providers analyze their work and refine what (CPPR) demonstrated ATS’s commitment to product development and social entrepreneurship that reaches they do to help children and families,” Garstka says. beyond the testing realm. “We see enormous potential to take this beyond Kansas to a national stage.” Working closely with CPPR Associate Director Teri Palaniswamy sees great promise, too. Garstka and three of her colleagues, the jointly staffed CPPR-ATS development team conceived and built a performance-management software program that, “ T H I S P R O J E C T E X E M P L I F I E S W H Y W E L O V E T O by summer 2014, had been successfully piloted with C O M E T O W O R K ,” H E S A Y S . “ T H E D A I LY W O R K I S multiple early-childhood organizations and programs R E W A R D I N G . W E A R E F U N D A M E N T A L LY I N V E S T E D across Kansas. The Data Application & Integration Solution for the Early Years—or “DAISEY”—is a IN THE IDEA OF DEVELOPING OUR PRODUCTS HIPAA-compliant, customizable software that helps I N C R E M E N T A L LY A N D W I T H R E G U L A R F E E D B A C K KU’s early-childhood partners by providing a robust F RO M S TA K E H O L D E R S . W E W I L L C O N T I N U E T O data tool to securely capture the impact of services on outcomes for Kansas children and families. DAISEY R E F I N E O U R M E T H O D S , B U T W E W I L L A L W A Y S is a web-based outcome reporting system developed TEST SOON, IDENTIFY DEFECTS SOON, AND FIX by KU for funders to measure the impact of services T H E M S O O N . T H I S I S T H E A G I L E W A Y .” and programs on children and families.
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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF VETERANS UPWARD BOUND (NAVUB) EMPOWERS MILITARY VETS WITH THE SKILLS AND SUPPORT TO ADVANCE THEIR EDUCATIONS
32 THE WAY WE WORK
CEOP
sked to assign herself a military rank, Julia O’Dell doesn’t hesitate. “I would be a platoon sergeant,” says the longtime director of the KU Veteran’s Upward Bound (VUB), a federal TRIO Program funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered through AAI’s Center for Educational Opportunity Programs. “We’re not the officers at the top,” she says of her small, dedicated team. “We’re the ones talking to Joe Private, saying this is what you need to do in order to get from here to here. In the military, the platoon level is where you see a lot of personnel development, and that’s essentially what we’re doing.”
Fifteen years later, from a suite of small offices in a downtown Kansas City, Kan., federal building, O’Dell still leads the program, one of 48 nationally, charged to equip qualifying veterans with the qualifications, skills, and motivation they need to enter and succeed in postsecondary education programs. The KU program serves veterans in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area, including Douglas, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas, and Jackson, Cass, and Clay Counties in Missouri. O’Dell and her four-member team offer counseling and expertise to help eligible vets prepare for and figure out their best path to success, whether it is at a two-year community college, a four-year college or university, or a public or private vocational or technical school. All services, including instruction, textbooks, advising, and supplies, are provided free of charge.
O’Dell’s been doing it since 1999, when she In addition to academic advising and career counseling, VUB and her husband, Steve, a career Army officer, also provides tutoring to advance academic skill sets including transferred from Fort Hood, Texas, to Fort Leav- math, reading, writing, and computer literacy. Additionally, enworth. Julia, who had worked as a transition veterans learn about the demands of the collegiate experience, counselor at their previous base, accepted direc- including such seemingly mundane aspects as the importance torship of VUB, then newly established at KU. of checking email regularly and how to secure tutoring and The challenge of helping at-risk veterans achieve counseling services. post-military educational goals was compelling and a natural fit for O’Dell. “THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE ENABLE OUR VET“It was just starting at KU,” she says, “and by the luck of the draw, serendipity, whatever you want to call it, I was in the right place at the right time. I’d been helping people transition from military to civilian life. That prepared me well. What we do here is help these individuals transition from military life back to civilian life and then to college life.”
ERANS TO MAKE SOME SOLID CONSUMER DECISIONS AS TO WHAT EDUCATION CAN HELP THEM ACCOMPLISH AND WHERE THEY MIGHT GO TO SCHOOL, AND THEN HELP THEM WITH THE RIGMAROLE OF GETTING INTO COLLEGE,” O’DELL SAYS. “WE’RE FUNDED TO SERVE 125 VETERANS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. WE LOOK FOR VETERANS WHO DIDN’T COME
laura kingston
FROM FAMILIES WHERE COLLEGE WAS THE ASSUMED COURSE.
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laura kingston
“The other population is younger, more tech savvy, more likely to be academically and technically prepared for school, but they are less likely to understand the ramifications of quick decisions about going back to school. We want to take a long-term view of where they want to ultimately be. When we’re working with older veterans, they don’t have that luxury. In the end, for both populations, we’re focused on helping veterans make good, O’Dell is a nationally known expert in the field. She served as solid decisions based on their circumpresident of the National Association of Veterans Upward Bound stances, their financial needs, and their (NAVUB) for two years and remains on the board of directors. career objectives.” “I don’t think there’s anyone who’s better acquainted with the regulations than Julia,” says VUB Academic Advisor Lisa Schley. “Because of her expertise, people call Julia from other VUB programs throughout the country. She really understands what the Department of Education wants us to do, the needs of our veterans, how those goals mesh together, and how we can best serve our populations.”
They work with veterans who may come to them homeless, or just out of prison, or still needing to acquire their GED, or to improve reading and math skills. They work with veterans who may have issues related to combat experiences or who simply lack the confidence to move forward in their post-military lives.
VUB serves two fairly distinct populations—older vets who served in the 1970s and 1980s, and younger vets who in many “ W E R E F E R V E T E R A N S T O O T H E R S E R cases are only a few years removed from high school. All of them VICES,” O’DELL SAYS. “IF THEY’RE IN have access to G.I. Bill benefits; VUB helps guide them to use those benefits prudently and successfully. CRISIS, WE DON’T JUST GIVE THEM AN “Those older veterans oftentimes had a job that has gone away and the vets need new training,” O’Dell says. “Maybe it was a labor-type job and they’re no longer physically able to do it. Maybe it was a job that’s no longer relevant in this economy or that now requires new technical skills.
ADDRESS OR A PHONE NUMBER; WE REFER THEM DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE WHO C A N H E L P. E V E R Y S I N G L E A D U L T P R O B LEM
THAT
YOU
CAN
THINK
SOMEBODY
COULD HAVE, WE’VE EXPERIENCED.
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With such a diverse group of clients, VUB’s measures of success extend beyond merely helping individuals with their educational goals. Staff members work closely with colleagues at Kansas City’s two Veterans Administration Medical Centers.
“The first thing I said was, ‘Every single time you talk to a veteran, I want you to have a smile on your face; I want you to be happy to be talking with them,’” O’Dell says. “I think it makes a positive difference in how vets perceive us.
“We look at what individuals have already accomplished, their background, how to prepare them to be successful at postsecondary level. Our participants undergo academic assessment so we know if they are adequately prepared for a university, community college, or technical school. If they’re not, we have classes they can take. So sometimes the discussion is, ‘Is school the best thing for you right now?’”
“THIS JOB CAN BE INCREDIBLY
O’Dell clearly remembers convening the first staff meeting in 1999.
FULFILLING.
WHEN
WE
KNOW
THAT A PERSON NOW HAS THE TO O L S
N E E D E D
TO
S U CC E E D
GOING FORWARD, IT’S DEEPLY S AT I S FY I NG .
A
LOT
O F
TH E
VETERANS WE SEE HAVE BEEN ST R U G G L I N G ,
A N D
J U ST
TO
SIT DOWN WITH THAT PERSON AND
THINK
ABOUT
WHETHER
EDUCATION CAN PLAY A PART IN THEIR NEXT JOB AND HOW THEY’RE
GOING
TO
DO
THAT
IS TREMENDOUS.”
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ALASKA JOINS KANSAS IN ENTRUSTING CETE T O D E V E LO P A N D D E L I V E R S TAT E A S S E S S M E N T S
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orty years after she became the first woman to complete the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Mary Shields remains an iconic figure in Alaska. She and her team of eight dogs, the smallest squad in the race, led by a part-Labrador retriever rescue dog named Cabbage, accomplished the feat in just under 29 days. The Iditarod represents a contemporary link to Alaska’s early history, connecting and commemorating its traditions. Shields, now 70 years old, remains a local celebrity in Fairbanks, where she operates a popular tourism business and also writes about her extraordinary experiences in the 49th state. Visitors flock to her homestead to meet her dogs and hear her stories. “Mary Shields is known as a wonderful Shields joined a group of Alaska authors and teachers in July 2014 to help the Achievement & Assessment Institute’s (AAI) Center for Educational Testing & Evaluation (CETE) customize Alaska’s Measures of Progress state assessments.
christopher long
In partnership with the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (EED), and with support from local universities, a team of AAI passage-development experts conducted two five-day workshops in Fairbanks and Juneau. Together those workshops attracted more than 30 writers, who worked on original passages intended to distinctively reflect Alaska.
brianna lichtenauer
storyteller, and we were honored that she participated, as we were honored by all those who joined us in this work,” says AAI Editor-in-Chief Lisa McBride, who led the workshops. “We strongly believe that by developing passages with topics, landscapes, and voices local to Alaska, we can better engage Alaska’s students as they demonstrate their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
THE WAY WE WORK
CETE
37
The workshops featured training sessions on writing for assessments, paired with guided practice and independent writing. Writers developed texts for elementary, middle-school, and high-school audiences. After the workshops, all passages went through additional rounds of editing, revision, and review at AAI.
The Alaska assessments developed by CETE, with computerized delivery systems created by AAI’s Agile Technology Solutions, will provide parents, students, and educators with information about student achievement in English language arts and mathematics. Alaska educators will play integral AAI’s $25 million agreement with EED extends through June roles in customizing the assessments, including 2020 and is the largest award in KU history. Alaska joins Kansas reviewing the assessments for bias and cultural as the second state to contract with CETE for development and sensitivity and setting the scoring thresholds for delivery of its state assessments. CETE delivers assessments using levels of achievement. a web-based interface with student-friendly, interactive items. Computer-based assessment-delivery systems have been used in “Alaska is very excited to work with AAI to Kansas since 2005. Kansas and other states participating in the develop assessments and measurement tools for Career Pathways Assessment System and the Dynamic Learning our students as they transition to college and Maps Alternate Assessment Consortium began using the Kansas career readiness,” says Erik McCormick, EED Interactive Testing Engine (KITE) in 2013. CETE annually delivers Director of Assessment, Accountability and Inmore than 1.8 million summative assessments to students. formation Management.
“The Institute’s excellent reputation is growing,” said “We sincerely believe in the importance of customiChancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, “both in this country and elsewhere. Educators and policymakers need tools that demonstrate classroom performance and student progress in meaningful ways. It’s impressive that states such as Alaska and Kansas are turning to AAI for these tools and forming long-term partnerships with KU.
zation, of having the flexibility to work to meet each state’s needs,” says CETE Director Marianne Perie. “We focus on finding the cost efficiencies where they matter and where they make sense to do so. So if you’re testing students’ abilities to change fractions to decimals—and both Kansas and Alaska have that in their standards—the same item probably works for both, and we can find some efficiencies there. In other cases, informational text needs to be based on local history, and that’s not the same for Kansas and Alaska.
“It’s very important to us to find that balance between what can be standardized—which means efficiencies—while
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meet our clients’ unique needs.
lisa mcbride
lisa mcbride
lisa mcbride
making sure we always customize to
ASSESSMENTS WILL REFLECT ALASKA’S U N I Q U E E D U C AT I O N A L L A N D S C A P E AAI/CETE’s commitment to customize the Alaska Measures of Progress is guided in part by the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools, adopted in 1998 as part of an initiative to document Alaska’s many indigenous knowledge systems and develop pedagogy that incorporates those systems into the statewide educational system. Alaska’s indigenous populations have a unique relationship to the community and environment as defined by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. The state’s 53 school districts are spread across a geographically and culturally diverse landscape, with each regional school board exercising local control of their schools’ curriculum. The Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools complement state content standards and address issues of importance to rural schools. These standards are endorsed by a cross section of Alaska Native organizations, including the Alaska Federation of Natives and the Alaska Native Knowledge Network. All certified teachers must take classes in multicultural and Alaska studies. Unlike content standards, which say what academic skills and knowledge should be taught, the cultural standards
address methods of teaching Western academic content to a diverse indigenous population without marginalizing traditional ways of knowing. In requiring a working knowledge of Alaska’s cultural standards, the intention is not to replace core curricula, but rather to inform and add to instructors’ existing resources for teaching that curricula to a diverse population of native Alaskan students while respecting their traditional knowledge and background. The standards are primarily targeted at teachers, schools, and districts serving rural and remote areas and Native communities; however, many of the standards are applicable to all students and communities.
MORE THAN TWICE THE SIZE OF TEXAS… With 663,300 square miles of land area, Alaska is by far the largest of the 50 states, and delivering assessments to its most remote areas, which in many cases are inaccessible by road, presents a distinctive challenge in test administration. A statewide initiative of the Alaska Department of Education & Early Childhood is steadily bringing computerized testing to all schools; those few schools still offline will administer paper-and-pencil assessments in the interim.
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FINANCIALS
A A I S P O N S O R S A N D PA RT N E R S
To advance its mission, AAI partners with a wide array of individuals and organizations locally, nationally, and internationally. The chart indicates by percentage the types of
12%
12%
18%
24%
34%
Other States
Fo u n d a t i o n s
State of KS
Not for Profit
Fe d e r a l Agencies
partners associated with the Institute’s work.
AWA R D CO U N TS BY F I S CA L Y E A R & AWA R D T Y P E
Thanks to the extensive experience of its 19 principal and co-principal investigators, the Insti-
2014 T O TA L
tute continues to seek and secure new awards,
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growing AAI in reputation, impact, and scope.
40 THE WAY WE WORK
AAI
2 28 3
R E N E WA L NEW NON-COMPETING
FY 2014 EXPENDITURES
AAI’s Finance & Administration team works closely with the KU Center for Research Inc., the University’s not-for-profit research foundation, to manage and administer financial functions. One of 12 designated research centers on campus, AAI’s FY2014 expenditures totaled $22,666,277, signaling the Institute’s rapid growth and influence.
A f f i l i a t e d Fa c u l t y
A A I E M P LOY E ES
The Institute’s wide-ranging portfolio of projects and research demands a staff with diverse backgrounds
GRAs
65
TEMPORARY
78
STUDENTS
82
and educations. AAI aims to foster an environment of learning and development for all its staff members, in particular the many graduate research assistants and students who play critical
F U L L-T I M E
= 5 people
192
roles in the Institute’s work.
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C E T E /AT S BY T H E N U M B E R S
= 1,000 people CETE AND ATS TEAM TO SERVE MORE THAN 400,000 STUDENTS IN 19 STATES IN KANSAS, CETE AND ATS SERVE 289 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN ALL 105 COUNTIES SINCE 2010, THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS AT ATS HAVE RELEASED 6 PRODUCTS, WITH MORE THAN 100 PLANNED PRODUCTION RELEASES, INCLUDING HUNDREDS OF ITERATIONS—IMPROVEMENT CYCLES— ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE PRODUCTS 43
C E O P BY T H E N U M B E R S ANNUALLY, CEOP PROGRAMS BRING KU APPROXIMATELY $4 MILLION IN GRANTS
= $50,000 SINCE 1973, CEOP PROGRAMS HAVE SERVED 60,423 CLIENTS
TRIO TALENT SEARCH PROGRAMS IN WYANDOTTE COUNTY SAW
98% OF 6-11TH GRADERS PERSIST TO THE NEXT LEVEL &
98% OF 12TH GRADERS GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, WITH
94% OF THOSE GRADUATES INCLUDING 10,281 KU STUDENTS
= 250 people
ENROLLING IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
GEAR UP PROGRAMS IN WYANDOTTE COUNTY SERVED MORE THAN
1,500 NINTH AND 10TH
GRADERS, PROVIDING STEM ACTIVITIES, COLLEGE VISITS AND EXPERIENCES, AND CLASSROOM PROGRAMMING 44
IN
2013-2014,
THE HARVEST OF HOPE
KU STUDENTS BENEFITED
LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
FROM MORE THAN
ANNUALLY BRINGS NEARLY
CEOP ADVISING AND MENTORING SESSIONS
KANSAS STUDENTS TO THE KU CAMPUS FOR A THREE-WEEK RESIDENTIAL ACADEMY THAT INCLUDES A LITERATURE COURSE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR MIGRANT STUDENTS
3,559
50
UPWARD BOUND MATH AND SCIENCE PROGRAMS
IN SHAWNEE, DOUGLAS, AND WYANDOTTE COUNTIES SERVED NEARLY
100 STUDENTS, WITH 78% OF THOSE SERVED ACHIEVING CUMULATIVE GPAS OF 2.5 OR BETTER, 97% CONTINUING IN SCHOOL, EARNING PROMOTIONS TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL OR HIGH-SCHOOL DIPLOMAS, AND
92% OF GRADUATING SENIORS ENROLLING IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
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AAI.KU.EDU
@AAIatKU 48