Find out this November at the 2017 Alternative Accountability Policy Forum
Here are three of the 26 sessions offered at the
Alternative Accountability Policy Forum:
Leveraging Social Supports for At-Promise Students
Presenters: Shannon Varga, Center for Promise, and Jon Zaff, America's Promise Alliance Dr. Jon Zaff and Dr. Shannon Varga, two leading researchers for America's Promise Alliance and Center for Promise, respectively, will provide a social support mapping app for understanding the services available to at-promise youth and levers for optimizing their academic (and life) success. Participants will use provided tablets to work through a hands-on exercise using the social support mapping app. The session includes a discussion about how to use that information to optimize the supports that youth are and could be receiving. The session is relevant both for practitioners who work with at-promise youth as well as for policy advocates who are looking to design better policies to support at-promise youth. |
Starting with Students
Presenter: Nelson Smith, National Association of Charter School Authorizers States are getting more sophisticated in how they tell the story of student achievement and school performance. But, many in the alternative-education community think that even the latest accountability systems fail to take into account the situations and background of "our kids." This session will brainstorm the pros and cons of current systems, look at the barriers to thinking differently, and envision new approaches that meet public accountability needs but truly start with students. Join Nelson Smith, NACSA Senior Advisor and National Charter Schools Hall of Fame inductee for this highly interactive session which and challenge our assumptions about who we serve and why. |
Resources and Strategies for Alternative School Accountability
Presenters: Carinne Deeds, American Youth Policy Forum; Jennifer DePaoli, Civic Enterprises; and Christopher Mazzeo, Education Northwest As states plan for school accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act come forth, education leaders around the country are grappling with the best ways to ensure high-quality alternative schools while also allowing them flexibility to successfully fulfill their missions. Panelists in this session will preview two forthcoming resources related to accountability for alternative education settings: (1) a policy brief designed to help education leaders better understand the framework of accountability for alternative education and (2) a toolkit outlining the systems and processes states can use to ensure robust and relevant accountability for alternative schools. The policy brief examines state definitions of alternative schools, how states are approaching the overall design of alternative accountability systems, specific measures that are responsive to alternative education settings, and mechanisms for continuous improvement. The toolkit discusses the various intricacies of developing a comprehensive system of alternative education, including processes, stakeholder engagement, and guidance for quantitative and qualitative analysis. All panelists will reflect on the general purpose off accountability systems in alternative education and their role in ensuring the quality and continuous improvement of alternative education institutions. |