ExcelinEd and America Achieves Course Unlocks PISA Data for Districts

Free online course for education leaders explores how PISA data can be used to improve U.S. education

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 28, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) today opened enrollment for its latest EdPolicy Leaders Online course, How Do We Stack Up? Using OECD's PISA to Drive Progress in U.S. Education. The course begins May 23 and has seven modules, which explore how pioneering education leaders can use PISA as a tool to improve teaching and learning for students. Live webinars will be offered for the first seven weeks to encourage collaboration and to deepen the learning experience.

"This online course aims to unlock PISA to reveal what is possible in education," said Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for the Directorate for Education and Skills. "We hope it will enable educators to leverage the experience of the world's leading school systems to improve policies and practice."

ExcelinEd developed this free, open online course for education leaders and education reformers in collaboration with America Achieves. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) provided editorial contributions. The course takes a deep dive into powerful data from the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a global survey that explores how well 70+ countries and economies are preparing students to think critically and solve real-world problems. The course will also explore the OECD Test for Schools (based on PISA), which allows individual schools to compare themselves to the highest performing schools around the world and use the data to make education improvements at the district and local level.
"While America's education system has remained stagnant, other countries have seen great rises in student learning and achievement," said Patricia Levesque, CEO of ExcelinEd. "Our students from every economic background deserve a brighter future. This course will inspire and equip educators across the nation to identify new ways to improve teaching and learning for their students."
How Do We Stack Up? will feature a variety of experts from across the education spectrum, including:

• Dr. Mitchell Chester, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Massachusetts
• Dr. Renee Foose, Superintendent, Howard County Public School System, Maryland
• Dr. Deborah A. Gist, Superintendent, Tulsa Public Schools, Oklahoma
• Eric Grunden, Chief School Officer and Founder, Research Triangle High School, North Carolina
• Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, OECD
• Jon Schnur, Executive Chairman, America Achieves
• Lisa Wilson, Director of Assessment and Research, Blue Valley School District, Kansas

This course will also introduce participants to America Achieves' Global Learning Network—a community of educators and district leaders who have taken the OECD Test for Schools, learned from their results and global best practices, and made practice shifts that contribute to improved student outcomes.

"This course, network and global benchmarking tool can help educators and communities who want to benchmark their progress against the world's best school systems and against their own aspirations and mission," said Jon Schnur, Executive Chairman of America Achieves. "I am so impressed by how educators and schools across the United States—and across the world—are learning from data, improving their practices and better preparing their students to lead and succeed in a fast-changing world."

Enroll now to secure your spot in this extraordinary opportunity.

About ExcelinEd's EdPolicy Leaders Online
The Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) is transforming education for the 21st century economy by working with lawmakers, policymakers, educators and parents to advance education reform across America. The organization's initiative EdPolicy Leaders Online is a series of free, self-paced online courses designed specifically for education leaders and policymakers, exploring topics from K-3 Reading policies to Data Privacy.

About America Achieves
America Achieves is a unique non-profit accelerator that brings together exceptional educators and other leaders with game changing ideas, results-oriented funding, and strategic and operational support to drive success for students at scale.
 
About the OECD's PISA
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a triennial international survey which aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students.

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