Multi-Dimensional Education: A Common Sense Approach to Data-Driven Thinking

"In an evidence-driven era, gathering comprehensive data will enable schools to meet their academic goals and to engage in a holistic approach to education."
―Avis Glaze, President
Edu-Quest International Inc., Valhalla, NY

"The challenges facing educators today are immense and the pressure to ′perform′ is clearly evident. This book provides a fresh and compelling argument to look far beyond test score performance when measuring success in our schools."
―Kurt Suhr, Principal
Newport Heights Elementary School, Newport Beach, CA

A comprehensive guide to data-driven school improvement

Schools aren′t one dimensional. Your decision making shouldn′t be either. If you want to look beyond student test scores to identify the specific areas that need improvement in your school, you will find practical tools for assessing multiple areas with confidence here. The authors detail a step-by-step framework for identifying, collecting, analyzing, and using data as a basis for driving school improvement in the right direction. Based on more than 40 years of research, this seven-dimensional model will help enhance your school′s curriculum, community, climate, and character by applying data to these key processes:

• Assessing student achievement
• Modifying instruction based on data findings
• Improving school performance
• Retaining effective teachers

The result is a holistic and accurate instrument for making the changes needed to improve student learning. Included are assessment tools, process charts, graphic organizers, rubrics, tables, numerous examples, and background research.

Dr. Michael W. Corrigan is a well-published Associate Professor and Director of Research at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. He teaches Educational Psychology, Human Development, and Research Methods. Dr. Corrigan’s more recent large scale research projects include five U.S. Department of Education grants studying character development and academic achievement in Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia; as well as a National Science Foundation grant collaborating with NASA that studies the impact of science-based inquiry on academic achievement in at-risk youth. Corrigan’s earlier research into the deviant behavior of youth in relation to community engagement was funded through the Department of Justice. Dr. Corrigan has taught within a juvenile detention system and is also the founder of the nonprofit Neighbor’s Day Initiative Group that seeks to build safer communities for youth. Corrigan’s community work has been featured in the Christian Science Monitor and other national publications.

Dr. Doug Grove is well respected from coast to coast for providing outcome and process evaluation services to local and state education agencies. Grove is an Associate Professor at Vanguard University of Southern California where he serves as Director of Graduate Programs in the School of Education. Grove has an extensive background in Educational Leadership, Research Design and Methodology. Dr. Grove’s broad experience in educational evaluation includes the management of numerous state and federal grants, as well as many other local education agency-based initiatives on the west coast. As a respected professor, Grove has taught courses on classroom assessment, statistics, research design and accountability in education. Dr. Grove has taught English, business, and physical education in public and private school settings. He has worked as a high school vice principal, the coordinator of a county office assessment unit, and school board member.

Dr. Philip Fitch Vincent, known to many as the voice of character education, and to others as the Poor Dr. Phil, brings more than 25 successful years of experience as an educator and an administrator to his consulting, grant project management, presentations, workshops, and many books. Dr. Vincent received his Master’s degree in education from Appalachian State University in 1979 and his doctor of education degree in curriculum and instruction from North Carolina State University in 1991. Dr. Vincent has taught grades K-12 as well as being a site and central office administrator. Dr. Vincent has done more than a thousand presentations and keynotes related to character education and moral development in more than 40 states and Canada. In November of 2007 he received the Sandy McDonald Award for Lifetime Achievement in the field of character education from the Character Education Partnership in Washington, DC. Phil was also given the Canadian Achievement Award in Character Education for his work in Ontario.