How Do I Verify What You See?

In a recent presentation, a school board member asked me an excellent question.  He asked, “You have all this classroom instruction data that LYS collects, but how do we verify that it is correct?”

The question illustrates the value of board members.  Board members attack the problems of schools from a different perspective and with a different experience base.  They are often the ones that force the system to think instead of react.  The question should be asked every time I present (we, LYS, ask it of every piece of data we use), but it isn’t.  Here is the answer.

Initially, a district really can’t verify our data.  There is no one on site who has the expertise or the necessary tools (not an indictment, just a function of opportunity and access).  The district could hire employees from other districts that LYS has trained.  But those people usually aren’t immediately available, and if you don’t yet believe LYS, why would you believe a LYSer?  However, when LYS works with a district, we train the staff to collect meaningful, objective data and we provide the district with access to LYS tools.  Verification isn’t immediate but it is forthcoming and it is provided by the district’s own employees. 

The goal of LYS is to create instructional systems that produce increasing student performance and are self-sustaining.  If we can’t train a district’s staff to replicate our observations and results, then we have failed.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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