Program Accountability
Contact: Nancy Baenen, Senior Director, (919) 850-1840
The Program Accountability office promotes continuous improvement and accountability, primarily through evaluations of WCPSS programs and instructional research studies related to policies and practices. The team also supports the system and individual schools through analysis of K-5 portfolio assessment results and interpretation of a variety of school performance data. Data and reports are provided to decision makers to inform decisions about whether to continue programs or efforts as they are, make improvements, or discontinue efforts. Common activities of Program Accountability Staff include:
- identifying students eligible for program services,
- monitoring program participation,
- monitoring program implementation and effectiveness through surveys, interviews, and site visits,
- Studying best practices through data analysis and data collection in schools,
- analyzing achievement test results as well as other data on desired outcomes,
- developing needs assessments and evaluation plans for grant applications,
- producing newsletters and reports describing program implementation and results,
- publishing systemwide and school-level results for K-5 portfolio assessments,
- conducting literature reviews.
Work plans for the Program Accountability office are developed each year through a priority-setting process, with input from the Chief Academic Officer, Instructional Services Division staff, Superintendent’s Leadership Team, and the Board of Education. Some studies are required for grant-funded programs; others are locally funded initiatives. Most reports are posted on the department's Internet Web pages.