We built a training & calibration tool for classroom evaluators. Observation Engine was a networked streaming video application. For a period of four school years, until we sold it in 2019, we worked in over 700 school districts. We provided software support to the whole networking, creating a practice environment for training and calibrating the micro-credentialing classroom observers.
Videos were collected in the Gates Foundation’s Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project, and initial software development was supported by the Foundation. Working on the MET project brought us into the analytics on which observation systems are based. Further work with observations as data has been through the Regional Education Labs where we provided services to states.
Through the RELs, we have been involved in large-scale randomized studies including as many as 80 schools done on behalf of the state agencies. Our continuing work in Alabama shows how we can build trust with people on the ground.
In partnership with REL-MW and the state of Wisconsin, we evaluate the usability and efficiency of their SIS data dashboard that they created for districts and school adminstrators. They wanted to know if it was possible (and if so, ihow easy it was) to extract and render relevant types of information that administrators are typically interested in. Examples included changes in outcomes over time, changes in the achievement gap, schools or groups of students that needed special attention, schools or groups of students that would benefit most from certain programs.
