Straight A Grant Program

The Straight A Grant Program and Data Matters Consortium

In the summer of 2014, OAPCS, in conjunction with the Arts and College Preparatory Academy (ACPA), was awarded an Ohio Department of Education Straight A grant as part of a consortium of 17 charter schools. The grant is designed to help implement a new data and assessment system in the partner schools. Known as the Data Matters Consortium, OAPCS oversees the implementation of the grant program in the schools. Currently, 287 teachers, 51 administrators, and 4,351 students are involved in using the consortium’s data and assessment system.  

In August 2014, OAPCS began the grant implementation in the schools to foster a permanent change in school culture and train teachers to use data to drive decisions about instruction and program effectiveness. Each teacher in the program receives a new computer, access to an online system known as Illuminate Data and Assessment, an item bank, and Ashland University credit for hours dedicated to training. CCSQ team members work with assigned schools and teachers for intensive training and implementation of the technology tools and resources. Schools set up collaborative data teams in which teachers meet regularly to share successes, refine their assessments and improve the application of the data-driven resources in the classroom.

According to Tony Gatto, principal of ACPA, the program helps teachers become more fluent in assessments and increases collaboration among staff. Learn details about Illuminate’s applications in the classroom here.

To learn more about how OAPCS is expanding its data management program through a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, click here

Straight A Grant 2015-2016 By the Numbers: