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Quality Quick Takes - September 2021

Evidence-Based Interventions and Evidenced-Based Practices (EBIs and EBPs) are those “effective educational strategies supported by evidence and research” (Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), 2002).  Evidence- and research-based information support our ability to make informed decisions, particularly while living through the current pandemic. EBIs are more than just educational jargon and alphabet soup in schools. They amount to the strategies, programs, practices, activities, and supports put in place based on the best available scientific evidence. It takes us away from the status quo practices, subjective decision-making, personal judgments, or other biased influences. In short, EBIs and EBPs provide proof to demonstrate helping to meet the needs of individual learners. 

Both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and EESEA require that schools use programs, curricula, and practices based on "scientifically-based research. . .to the [best] extent practicable." To be considered an evidence-based practice, an instructional strategy must be shown to be effective in multiple high-quality research studies across multiple settings with many participants. This means that the educational interventions being used must be strongly supported whenever possible by evidence from reputable research studies. 

The Office of School Quality (OSQ) serves as a resource to schools in helping to identify websites and databases focused on warehousing information on EBIs and EBPs. The OSQ goes a step further to assist with educators’ understanding and implementation of effective evidence-based practices, which are vital for supporting student achievement and addressing opportunity gaps. While many teachers know what content they must teach, many have not had specific instruction or professional development on how to teach the content using EBIs and focusing on daily EBIs that can support daily instruction.  

As school divisions, central office staff, site-based leadership teams, teachers, and/or parents seek to implement EBIs, OSQ recognizes that implementation only serves as part of the process. An equally important part of the plan should be monitoring whether it is effective for the students by providing data on student outcomes. The OSQ is committed to working with schools on developing comprehensive school improvement plans that address these components of continuous improvement. 

Together, we recognize that using EBPs play a critical role in improving student learning outcomes. When teachers combine their expertise as content knowledge experts with explicit instruction and practices and programs backed by research, the likelihood increases that a child will progress and succeed academically.

Knowledge is power; keep moving forward! 

Aurelia Ortiz, Director

Lisa Martin, Federal Programs Coordinator

Office of School Quality 

Save the Dates:  November 18-19, 2021  "Leading in the Midst of Change" The Principal Leadership Conference will offer school and division leaders the opportunity to expand their knowledge in transformational leadership practices and access to a variety of educational resources within the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).  The conference will offer sessions from the following categories:   Assessment and Accountability Practices Chronic Absenteeism  Climate and Culture  College, Career, and Civic Readiness  Continuous Improvement  Data Analytics  Dropout Prevention and Graduation  Professional Learning  Quality Instructional Practices  Social and Emotional Learning  Trauma-Informed Care  Systems and Support Resources  Transformational Leadership Principals, assistant principals, and division leaders are encouraged to attend. Pre-registration must be completed by Friday, September 17, 2021.  Fall 2021 Principal Leadership Conference Pre-Registration Form All approved pre-registered participants will receive a conference program at the beginning of October which will include session topics. Zoom links will be provided one week prior to the conference. Click to edit this placeholder text.

OSQ Quality Time

The OSQ is here to help you with all school improvement needs. Every third Thursday of the month from 8:30 - 10:00 a.m., OSQ staff will be available for appointments to answer questions and provide support. The first session of the OSQ Quality Time is scheduled for September 16th, from 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.  

Fifteen (15) minute appointments can be made using this link:  Quality Time Appointment Link. State your division, name and title, and discussion topic. Once the appointment is confirmed, you will receive a Zoom link for the meeting. The OSQ staff is looking forward to providing personalized support through the OSQ Quality Time.

Promotion of Quality Leadership Leaders across the Commonwealth work diligently to promote quality in their schools.  Please take some time to recognize those leaders. The OSQ is happy to announce the names of school leaders who were recognized for their role in Monitoring and Implementing the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).  You can view the list of individuals on this document.  Based upon this month's theme of Evidence-Based Interventions (EBIs) and Evidenced-Based Practices (EBPs), please nominate a principal who has embodied this work as designated in the criteria below. Complete the nomination form by October 1, 2021, for consideration. Under the principal's leadership, school-based teams engage in a process for identifying and selecting evidence-based practices, programs, activities, and strategies (collectively referred to as “interventions”) that have demonstrated effectiveness in impacting student progress. This process includes developing action steps that address the coordination and supervision of the implementation and monitoring of the EBIs. Monitoring will allow the instructional leader and the school improvement team to determine if the EBI is implemented with fidelity. Additionally, administrators, teachers, and parents can discern to what degree the EBI(s) make a difference in students' academic progress through a defined monitoring process.   The principal engages in a process through which the school can determine if the selected interventions are effective and if the action steps are improving student outcomes. The components of the leader’s process addressed the four elements focused on the identification and implementation of evidence-based interventions:  I.  Intervention Selected Conducts targeted searches using academic databases Reviews websites specifically dedicated to identifying and reviewing EBIs Seeks guidance and recommendations from specialists in the field Seeks guidance from other districts with similar challenges II.  Level of Evidence/Justification for selecting EBI Reviews the level of effectiveness based on the research Ensures the EBI supports the school’s identified needs, setting, and student population III.  Implementation Develops a process addressing the fidelity of implementation  Identifies artifacts that will provide evidence of academic progress and ensuring the collection of artifacts Clarifies how and where the initiative fits in the continuous improvement plan and development of action steps IV.  Progress  Monitoring  Develops a system for monitoring the implementation and impact of the EBI to include data points, artifacts, and metrics such as the use of performance targets, division benchmark assessments, interim assessments, implementation benchmarks, and impact indicators  Monitors the frequency of artifact collection and leading the review of the analysis Creates opportunities with the school improvement team to reflect, revise, and make mid-course corrections, as needed. Also, the EBI process should connect to the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) and the school’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP). Action steps for implementing the selected intervention should be developed and included in the CSIP. These action steps should take into consideration:  Professional development, including follow up activities Personnel needed Resources needed Student activities addressing how the students will experience the intervention Monitoring activities--students, teachers, and other personnel Metrics to determine the impact of the intervention on student performance

Support for High-Quality Educational Environments

School leaders focused on continuous improvement must constantly assess their measurable progress towards their goals and targets to elevate student performance outcomes. Evidence-Based Interventions (EBIs) and Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) provide instructional leaders with equitable approaches and innovative solutions to bolster student achievement and make significant strides in the success of the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).  

This research brief from Hanover Research reviews research and best practices for researching EBIs and EBPs. It features the benefits of selecting EBIs and using the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) to examine targeted research to discover potential solutions. School leaders can use this resource to assist in the challenging task of reflectively deciding how to select an EBI based on the particular needs of their students and school.

Q-Tip

Evidence is a powerful tool to identify ways to address education challenges and build knowledge on what has worked in specific educational settings and with identified student groups. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), emphasizes the use of evidence-based activities, strategies, and interventions (collectively referred to as “interventions”).  This month’s Quick Takes focuses on Identifying Evidence-Based Interventions (EBIs). 

The term research-based or best practices are terms frequently used in the education field. These terms are often used interchangeably. To compound the confusion, enter the term evidence-based.  So what’s the difference between research-based and evidence-based? 

Research-based means there are theories behind it, but that the theories are not always proven true. There is no evidence in the research proving efficacy. 

Evidence-based means there is efficacy to back it up:

• It uses a sound research design. The outcomes of students receiving a tested teaching strategy or intervention are compared to similar students who do not receive the intervention. Or, compared to another type of program, or a different kind of instruction.
• The research is based on high-quality data analysis. Researchers must be sure to collect, store and examine the data carefully.
• The program was studied by researchers who were not involved in creating the program. The researchers cannot stand to profit from the outcomes.
• Involves other researchers to review the results. The study should be reported in a journal so other researchers can review the methods used and repeat the research in other settings.
• The program was compared, the effect sizes were reported, and those revealed a significantly greater improvement than any improvement in the comparison condition.

We have provided you with this At-A-Glance document entitled Identifying Evidence-based Interventions. Take a Quick-look to reflect on your school’s selection of current practices, programs, activities, strategies, and interventions being used and whether they are strongly supported by evidence from well-conducted research studies. Included in the document are websites with databases containing information on evidence-based interventions. 

A technical assistance session will be held on Thursday, October 7, 2021, to discuss the implementation of this tool. If you are interested in learning more, complete this registration form, TA- Evidence-Based Interventions, by September 30, 2021. These trainings are interactive with the intention to engage in thought-provoking reflection and discussion.

Collaboration Corner

SPOTLIGHT:  Arts and Humanities 

Humanities in Class Free Webinar Series for All Teachers

Registration for the 2021-22 Humanities in Class Webinar Series is open. Over 40 sessions are scheduled featuring scholars and experts from across the humanities. Each live webinar is 90 minutes and includes resources and readings from the scholar. Participants can earn five (5) professional development credits. The series is free and teachers at all levels and subjects are invited to join.  

Poetry Out Loud

The words of great poets literally come to life in Poetry Out Loud, a free literary arts program for high school students. Registration is currently open for schools, organizations, and individual students. Find out more information or contact casey.polczynski@vca.virginia.gov.

Did you know? 

Professional Learning Webinar Series

VASCD is sponsoring a variety of professional learning opportunities for Virginia educators through webinar series with a variety of timely topics. Visit VASCD for additional details and costs:

Session Series:  September 16, 21, 23, 2021. Designing Authentic Performance Tasks and Rubrics. Presenter Eric Carbaugh will share tools for the use of performance tasks and rubrics.

Session Series: September 22, October 6, 22, and November 10, 2021. Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms-Preparing Learners for Their Future. Presenter Eric Sheninger will share how to prepare students for success now and in the future. 

September 30, 2021,: Ongoing Assessment and Effective Feedback to Drive Learning. Presenter Eric Carbaugh explores how to help students learn to persist, reflect, and strengthen their skills using feedback and formative assessment.

October 5, 2021 Don’t Kick Me Out - Invite Me In! (Discipline Through an Equity Lens). Presenters Casey Roberts and Kambar Khoshaba highlight practices that emphasize self-regulation and social-emotional learning over exclusion.

Micro-Credentials

Exciting news! The Virginia Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (VASCD) is offering the following Micro-Credentials from August 1 through November 15, 2021. Find out more information today!

• Creating a Performance Assessment Blueprint
• Designing a Rubric
• Incorporating Peer Review and Feedback
• Facilitating Respectful Student-to-Student Conversations
• Building Classroom Community
• Building Students’ Academic Discussion Skills

Reminders

November 18 - 19, 2021:  Principal Leadership Conference “Leading in the Midst of Change”    Pre-registration must be completed by Friday, September 17, 2021.  Fall 2021 Principal Leaders Conference Pre-Registration Form   School Quality Profiles (SQPs):  2021 Summer Release of School Quality Profiles The SQPs were released on Thursday, August 26, 2021.  Each school that is open for the 2021-2022 school year and was opened for the 2020-2021 school year will have an updated SQP.  Data on SQPs come from a multitude of sources, including: End-of-Year Student Report Card (SRC), Discipline, Crime and Violence (DCV), October 1, 2021 - Free and Reduced Price Meal Participation, Annual Pass Rates using 2020-2021 test data, and Participation, Chronic Absenteeism, and Federal Graduation Index (FGI) indicators from ESSA calculations. OMEGA Reimbursements:  School Improvement Grant (SIG) Awards The School Improvement Grant's reimbursement deadline is rapidly approaching.  Divisions are reminded that SIG reimbursements must be submitted to OMEGA at least once a month, as this allows the OSQ and the division to monitor the spend-down of the SIG funds.

Any feedback about this communication is greatly appreciated.  If you have a topic you would like to see in a future monthly edition of Quality Quick Takes, contact OSQ at OSQ@doe.virginia.gov.

This monthly communication is intended for school and division leadership throughout the Commonwealth.

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