Resources
A-GAME Resources
A-GAME Resources to Inform Alternative Education Campus Accountability
Better Goals. More Learning. Using Student (re)Engagement Levels to Create Meaningful Goals and Measures
A-GAME originally set out focusing exclusively on measuring the quality of alternative education campuses (or AECs). Members joined as they were frustrated by accountability systems that rely on traditional measures, because they don’t tell the whole story. Schools serving large numbers of disengaged and barely-engaged students typically receive low marks on state and authorizer performance frameworks -- even if they produce positive results for students documented through other measures.
This document is designed to show how to avoid this problem and measure what really matters for all schools!
Introducing the A-GAME: New Ways of Measuring Quality
With traditional assessments unavailable, authorizers and schools are looking for new ways to measure quality. Join a session to learn about the Advancing Great Authorizing and Modeling Excellence (A-GAME) initiative on creating responsive goals based on student population. Focusing on alternative education campuses, 50 authorizers collaborated over the past year to develop a method for creating new measurements based not on averages but on population.
Minding the Gap: How State Policies Can Create Conditions for Innovation in Alternative Education Accountability
Minding the Gap is a resource to help state education agencies, charter school authorizers, leaders of alternative education campuses, policy-makers, and researchers understand how states are balancing the demand for rigorous public accountability with the diversity of alternative education campuses (AECs) and the real-life experiences of students they serve.
Measuring Quality: A Resource Guide for Authorizers and Alternative Schools
For charter school authorizers, alternative education campuses can be a challenge, as students tend to be highly mobile, are chronically absent, and are often years behind in academic learning. Therefore, data is scarce and not reflective of all students enrolled by the AEC throughout the year. This document provides concrete recommendations and specific examples of ways to measure outcomes for AEC charter schools.
Evaluating a New AEC Applicant
This rubric provides examples of how authorizers can rate applications to open an alternative charter school and is consistent with the guidance and recommendations put forth in the A-GAME’s Measuring Quality: A Resource Guide for Authorizers and Alternative Schools.
Assessing an AEC for Renewal
This rubric provides an example of how authorizers can assess an application to renew an alternative charter, and is consistent with the guidance and recommendations put forth in the A-GAME’s Measuring Quality: A Resource Guide for Authorizers and Alternative Schools.
Measuring Quality: Walkthrough Guide
This powerpoint is a complement to the Measuring Quality Guide already available. The deck walks participants through the main ideas within the Guide.
A-GAME: Case Study Exercise
This is a case study in which participants are asked to rethink accountability beyond comparing to averages and using proficiency rates on state assessments. The powerpoint is the first part of a series that will eventually lead through the charter life cycle of application and goal creation through renewal.
Renewing Schools using Engagement Phases and Non-Traditional Goals, Part 1
With COVID-19 causing a hiatus in state assessments, over 45 charter school authorizers joined together to explore reliable ways to measure school quality that do not rely on state assessments. The powerpoint, used in the second convening of A-GAME authorizers, takes a charter school authorizer through the process of assessing a school based on students identified by their engagement in school.
Renewing Schools using Engagement Phases and Non-Traditional Goals, Part 2
This resource offers examples of goals for growth, culture/climate, high-school completion, and career and college readiness.
Social Emotional Learning and Responsive Goals
At the final Spring 2020 A GAME convening, charter authorizers explored the process for researching for the best SEL assessments. Included also are three examples of authorizers using A-GAME-inspired goals in their authorizing practices.
Additional Resources
Additional Resources to Support Authorizers and Schools
SEAtS Webinar: Strengthening a non-traditional approach to student success
December 1, 2020 | Presented by Jody Ernst (Momentum Strategy & Research), Kennisha Kelly (Kingsman Academy), and Naomi Rubin DeVeaux (National Charter Schools Institute)
Letter to the Honorable Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor at the U.S. House of Representatives
Written by the A-GAME team
Analysis: Seeking new ways to evaluate charter schools serving the highest needs students that might work for others shuttered by COVID-19
By Nelson Smith
"With the coronavirus pandemic bringing the school year to a sudden halt before spring tests and high school graduations, school administrators and state policymakers are struggling with how to evaluate schools when there are big gaps in data."
So-called “alternative” accountability is turning out to be really pertinent at a time when states and school districts across the country are reeling from gaps in standard data.
Covid-19 Resource Hub
Alternative education campuses or AECs target students who will be most impacted by lengthy disruptions in daily life, such as their school unexpectedly closing. The A-GAME leadership suggests that charter authorizers provide guidance expressing your expectations and the contractual and legal requirements your schools must meet during this unprecedented time. The guidance should include academic goals as well as your expectations around wrap-around services, including: services for mental health, social-emotional well-being, parenting, special education, food, housing, and other life essentials. The resources and information provided here may be helpful for you and the schools you authorize to provide meaningful services to students and their families.
Resource Packet
The resources in this packet include studies on the performance of students who attend alternative education campuses.
Transparency
Grant Evaluation and Transparency
Summary of Meeting Grant Objectives
This document tracks the progress the A-GAME has made towards meetings its objectives, set forth when we began on this journey. The document provides descriptions of the thought behind the deliverables and the plans around broad dissemination.
Shaping the future
"The A-GAME is equipping charter school authorizers and leaders with the resources they need to create ambitious yet attainable goals that assess school quality and effectiveness so families can make the best choices for students with the greatest needs."
Naomi Rubin DeVeaux | Vice President for Authorizing & Accountability | National Charter Schools Institute
Interested in Learning More?
Are you a school, charter authorizer, district office, or state agency interested in learning more about the A-GAME? Please complete this form Please complete this form for more information and ways that you can engage with this work.