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PRODUCT OVERVIEW

PD 360 represents the largest on-demand professional development video library available within the academic community. The application is delivered through an Internet-based system that is built around over 1,400 core professional training segments focused on today’s most critical topics in education and the instructional skills needed for improving student achievement. Each video learning segment reflects research-based, proven methods and strategies, delivered by noted national and international experts, and include real classroom examples, practitioner interviews and graphics, all are designed to engage teacher-learners, deliver crucial content and maximize teaching skills. Each content area is available in both elementary and secondary versions so that educators can focus on professional development that is specific to their student populations and their instructional needs.

A license to PD 360 includes unlimited access to the entire library for the duration of the license and includes the following:

• Over 1,400 video learning segments averaging 10 minutes each• Each segment contains the best-known experts in that subject, such as Michael Fullan, Rick Smith, Rick Stiggins, Gayle Gregory and many others• Every video has multiple real classroom examples with over 1,500 schools from the U.S., Canada and other countries shown across the segments• The content is mapped to national teacher and leader competencies with topics including, but not limited to: Differentiated Instruction, Instructional Strategies, Closing the Achievement Gap, Working with Students of Special Needs, English Language Learners, Leadership and Classroom Management

PD 360 IMPACT ASSESSMENT:

A Multi-State, Multi-District Study of the Impact of Participation in PD 360 on Student Performance

An Impact Assessment by: Steven H. Shaha, PhDCopyright 2011 by School Improvement Network. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the permission of the Company.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As new initiatives are launched across the nation, there has been a surge in the attention given to the relationship between teacher preparedness and student achievement (National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, 1996; National Education Goals Panel, 1998). Several recent studies have demonstrated the important role of high-quality teaching in achieving the more complex learning goals of standards-based reform (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999; Darling-Hammond, 2000; Darling-Hammond & Ball, 1998; Rowan, Chiang, & Miller, 1996). Furthermore, according to a study conducted by Sanders & Rivers (1996), as teacher effectiveness increases, lower achieving students are the first to benefit. A research report by the National Central Regional Educational Laboratory indicates that professional development keeps teachers abreast of current issues in education, helps them implement innovations and refines their practice. Recent evidence suggests that professional development can lead to improvements in instructional practices and, in turn, to student learning. To that end, School Improvement Network’s PD 360 is positioned to deliver embedded professional learning to the academic community that will improve teacher preparedness, skills and effectiveness, resulting in significant increases in student achievement in classrooms with participating educators.

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STUDY DESIGN

Based upon the premise of correlation between teacher effectiveness and student achievement, the School Improvement Network engaged the services of a third-party evaluator, Dr. Steven H. Shaha, to conduct a comprehensive outcome study on the effects of teacher participation in PD 360 on student achievement. Dr. Shaha is a seasoned nationally and internationally recognized outcomes researcher. He holds two Masters degrees and accomplished his Doctorates in Research Methods and Applied Statistics and in Business Administration. He has presented over 200 professional papers, has over 200 publications in print, as well as two books. He has also taught and lectured at twelve universities and colleges, including UCLA and California State University, and provided guest lectures at ten others, including Princeton, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, Cornell, UCLA (Anderson) and University of Pennsylvania (Wharton). His doctoral at UCLA included substantive work at the Center for the Study of Evaluation in the Graduate School of Education and he maintains affiliations with the University of Utah (Center for Public Policy and Administration) and Harvard University.

In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the professional learning solution, the School Improvement Network commissioned the study reported herein: PD 360 IMPACT ASSESSMENT: A Multi-State, Multi-District Study of the Impact of Participation in PD 360 on Student Performance. The aim is to provide quantitative, rigorous evidence of the PD 360’s ability to enable teachers to positively effect student achievement. The study gathered student achievement and PD 360 user utilization data from a sample comprised of 176 low performing schools representing 59 schools districts across 25 states. All data reflect scores achieved in standardized tests for Reading and Mathematics within the respective States and thereby Districts and School. Scores were from 2008-2009 reflected as Pre Year, and 2009-2010 reflected as Post Year, meaning the year Pre versus Post teacher participation in PD 360.

PERFORMANCE RESULTS IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

The PD 360 Impact Assessment revealed statistically significant advantages favoring schools with PD 360 versus District Benchmarks. As the results are reviewed, it is important to remember that these were schools identified as low performing, with teachers working to meet the needs of very challenging students.

Schools Districts

Pre-Year

Post-Year

Improvement

Pct Change

Statistical Signi�cance

Contrasting Schools with Districts

48.23 51.66

56.46 53.25

8.24 1.59

17.1% 3.1%

p<001 p<001

p<001

Schools whose teachers participated in PD 360 experienced significant and meaningful gains in student performance in Mathematics (p<.001) and Reading (p<.001). Moreover, performance data implies that the gains made by participating schools actually boosted the performance data for the entire districts in which they were nested by “pulling up the district averages.”

Mathematics: The PD 360 schools consistently made statistically significant gains in mathematic proficiency rates versus prior year beyond those achieved by their respective districts collectively (p<.001). Furthermore, as demonstrated in the Figures below, participating schools not only closed the achievement gap but they surpassed their districts cumulative proficiency rate even though they began at a significant disadvantage score-wise (p<.001).

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Reading: As was the case for Mathematics, participating schools consistently made gains in reading proficiency rates above those experienced by their respective districts collectively (p<.001). Post PD 360, the participating schools not only closed the achievement gap but they surpassed their districts cumulative proficiency rate in reading (p<.001).

Exhibit 2 below summarizes that, overall, participating schools collectively achieved meaningful performance gains in Reading and Mathematics beyond score increases achieved within their districts collectively.

Exhibit 2 – Average Performance Gains

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Priority of Predictive Significance

Math School Prof Pct Change

Math School Advanced Pct

Change

Math District Prof Pct Change

Math District Advanced Pct

Change

1 Avg Min/UserPct Users

RegisteredAvg Min/User

Pct Users Registered

2Programs Viewed and Re-viewed

Pct Users w/Community

Programs Viewed and Re-viewed

Pct Users w/Community

3 Forums PostedLinks

UploadedForums Posted

4 Forums Viewed Forums Viewed5 Avg Min/User

Significant Predictors of Improvements in Student Achievement Rates

Priority of Predictive Significance

Reading School Prof Pct Change

Reading School Advanced Pct

Change

Reading District Prof Pct Change

Reading District Advanced Pct

Change

1Links

UploadedPct Users

RegisteredAvg Min/User Links Viewed

2 Links ViewedPrograms Viewed and Re-viewed

Pct Users Registered

Significant Predictors of Improvements in Student Achievement Rates

PREDICTORS OF MAGNITUDE OF IMPACT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

According to an examination of performance data, the greatest predicators of improved student achievement included:

• Average Minutes per User – Individual teacher engagement• Percent of Users Registered – Breadth of teachers engaged• Links and Programs Viewed – Depth of personal investment• Percent of Users with Community – Breadth of networking

Mathematics: Exhibit 3 (next page) summarizes the most significant predictors of improvements in student gains in achievement rates for Mathematics for both the participating schools and their respective districts collectively. Analyses revealed that the two most significant predictors of improvements at the “proficiency” level were the amount of time teacher utilized PD 360 (average minutes/user) and the depth of personal investment and engagement in that use (number of programs viewed/reviewed). The best predictors of increases gained for student achievement improvements at the “advanced proficiency” level were the participation rates (percent of users registered) and teacher engagement with other PD 360 teachers (percent users engaged in PD 360 community).

Exhibit 3 – Significant Predictors of Improvements in Student Mathematics Scores

NOTE: Factors or variables listed are those isolated through Regression Analyses. These are those statistically most predictive or correlated with the increases identified.Reading: Exhibit 4 below explains the most significant predictors of improvements in student Reading achievement rates for both the participating schools and their respective districts collectively. Analysis revealed that PD 360-driven improvements in “proficiency” level achievement in schools

included educator participation (links uploaded) while the primary predictors across the districts were related to teacher utilization (average minute per user and programs viewed/reviewed). In comparison, improvements in student achievement at the “advanced proficiency” level were primarily impacted by participation rates (percent of users registered) and teacher engagement (links viewed).

Exhibit 4 –Significant Predictors of Improvements in Student Reading Scores.

NOTE: Factors or variables listed are those isolated through Regression Analyses. These are those statistically most predictive or correlated with the increases identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall results of the study demonstrated momentous improvements in student achievement at both a school and district level. Participating schools experienced significant improvements in student achievement in both Mathematics and Reading. Furthermore, low-performing districts with participating schools demonstrated meaningful gains in overall district performance with participating schools boosting district averages in spite of sustained low performance among non-participants schools across the district.