SHAHEEN: NEW HAMPSHIRE WINS MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS TO IMPROVE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND TEACHER EVALUATIONS

(Washington, D.C.) – The New Hampshire Department of Education has won more than a million dollars in funding to more effectively evaluate its teachers and administrators and improve classroom instruction by expanding the data it collects on student outcomes, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) announced today.

“I am proud of the work the New Hampshire Department of Education has already done to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for education reform in our state.  Expanding the use of high quality data will increase the ability of stakeholders to improve instruction and student outcomes,” said Shaheen, who wrote a letter in December 2011 to Education Secretary Arne Duncan to express her support for New Hampshire’s grant application.

The $1,540,973.00 Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) grant will be used to design, develop and implement a statewide, longitudinal kindergarten through grade 12 data system. The department will expand the data it collects to include multiple student outcome measures. Further, these new tools will provide much-needed information and metrics to help educators identify and act on areas where classroom instruction can be improved.  The expanded data system created through this grant will be accessible to legislators and other stakeholders, allowing them to more effectively address K-12 education policy issues. 

“We are pleased to receive this grant, which will help us build on our efforts in three principal project areas: the evaluation of effective teachers and leaders, informed decision making for legislators and other stakeholders, and college and career readiness,” said New Hampshire Commissioner of Education Virginia Barry.

In 2007, the New Hampshire Department of Education applied for and received federal Department of Education funds to create a foundational data infrastructure that has been used to monitor student achievement and assessment results.