PISOTA Presents Historical Student Data at the State of the Schools

On October 12, 2023, PISOTA participated in the Charles County Public Schools State of the Schools event. Read on to learn more about the State of the Schools, facilitated by the office of the Charles County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Maria Navarro.

Following the main event, Dr. Sermons, PISOTA’s Principal, presented scholar state testing data to PISOTA families in a breakout room. The historical data presented provides PISOTA with a baseline understanding of our scholars’ mastery of concepts in mathematics and reading. Dr. Sermons also presented data around our scholars’ acclimation to culture and climate at their former schools. Dr. Sermons’ presentation is provided below.

For at least a decade now, the driving force behind education reform has been data. We talk about collecting data, analyzing data, and making data-driven decisions. All of this data can certainly be useful, helping us notice patterns we might not have seen without aggregating our numbers in some way, looking for gaps and dips and spikes, allowing us to figure out where we are strong and where we need help. In terms of certain academic behaviors, we can quantify student learning to some extent and improve our practice as a result.

And yet, we know this is not enough. We know our students bring with them so many other kinds of data. So many other factors contribute to academic success: the atmosphere in their homes, the demands of their out-of-school school schedule, the physical concerns that distract them, the passions and obsessions that consume them.

Rethinking Data: How to Create a Holistic View of Students | KQED. (2015, August 26). KQED. https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/41753/rethinking-data-how-to-create-a-holistic-view-of-students

At PISOTA, we seek to cultivate and uplift the whole child. This historical data informs our strategy for improvement and restoration. It allows the instructional leadership team to understand where targeted intervention can contribute to academic progress for each scholar. Take a look at Dr. Sermons’ presentation below and learn more about our strategy for improvement.

CCBOE State of the Schools

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Superintendent Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D., hosted a State of the Schools event for parents and community members on Oct. 12, 2023.

During the event, Navarro shared a presentation about the state of school system and how it relates to the three focus areas of the CCPS Strategic Plan. The strategic plan includes three priority areas: student learning and achievement; access and opportunities; and culture and climate. Each priority area includes goals and strategies with measurement metrics identified to evaluate progress.  

The Strategic Plan is posted in its entirety on the CCPS website at https://www.ccboe.com/academics/strategic-plan-data-dashboard.

Following the presentation, attendees visited breakout rooms where staff from each CCPS school were set to speak about school improvement plans and how they tie into the overall CCPS strategic plan. Presentations about individual school improvement plans are posted to school websites, under the Announcements area.

Parents are asked to view the plan for their child’s school and complete a brief survey included at the end of the presentation. Questions about school-level plans should be directed to administrators at the individual school.

The CCPS Strategic Plan is updated annually with data regarding measurement metrics. The plan from 2023 is posted on the CCPS website at https://www.ccboe.com/academics/strategic-plan-data-dashboard/strategic-plan-data-dashboard-2022-23.
(Source: CCBOE Website)