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This Audit of Educational Effectiveness for the Oxford School District was commissioned by the Board of Education of the Oxford School District and the Superintendent as a means of improving the quality of teaching and learning in the school district. Former Mississippi State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Richard A. Boyd, now an Oxford resident, donated his time and expertise to this study to reduce the investment of the Oxford Board of Education. Since May 2002, SchoolMatch has collected and analyzed data from each regular elementary, middle and high school in Oxford School District. The Audit program was initiated in a similar fashion to that which has assisted hundreds of school systems throughout the country. The SchoolMatch site team conducted an on-site visitation to the Oxford School District on September 18-19, 2002. Commendations to Oxford School District Personnel SchoolMatch evaluators commend school system personnel in attendance during the on-site visit of the SchoolMatch team of consultants for the assistance given, information provided, and the many courtesies extended. It was a pleasure to work with courteous and congenial school personnel, and school district colleagues. In particular, the team extends thanks for their time during the site visit to Acting Superintendent Robert E. King and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Wanda L. Dean The team also thanks those who attended meetings and who met with team members during school visits:
The members of the audit team who visited the Oxford School District were especially pleased to have a chance to visit students and teachers in the classroom. The students are vivid reminders of how this study might assist the school district and the community to create enhanced educational opportunities for Oxford’s students. History of the Audit of Educational Effectiveness In the mid-1980s, Dr. M. Donald Thomas initiated the "Audit of Educational Effectiveness" process using carefully designed levels of effectiveness and the SchoolMatch databases. Dr. Thomas, Superintendent Emeritus of the Salt Lake City Public Schools, has achieved national recognition as a widely respected school administrator, state education reformer, researcher, author and speaker. A few years ago, SchoolMatch assumed the responsibility of working directly with school systems to continue this important process. This educational effectiveness audit compares the Oxford School District to similar student and staff population demographics nationwide. Using a variety of data sources, including SchoolMatch records, data available from the U.S. and state departments of education, professional judgment and research techniques (data analysis, interviewing, polling, and others), our auditors examined a wide range of performance indicators in the Oxford School District. These indicators range from test scores to student and staff attendance to public support for the school system (without which no school system can succeed). In each case, the results have been compared against those of the best of similar student and staff demographic populations nationwide. The SchoolMatch Team of Consultants In initiating the Audit for the Oxford School District, SchoolMatch involved two on-site visitation consultants, its databases, editorial consultants, and support staff. The on-site consultants and editors include: Dr. Richard A. Boyd is the former chairman of the National Assessment of Educational Progress and a former executive committee member of the Council of Chief State School Officers, American Association of School Administrators and Education Commission of the States. He currently serves as Director of Education Programs at the Barksdale Reading Institute in Oxford, MS, where he is a Professor at The University of Mississippi. He is past-president of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators and served as State Superintendent of Education for the state of Mississippi. He was Superintendent of Schools in Lakewood (OH) and Warren (OH) and in 1985 was appointed Deputy State Superintendent of Schools in Cleveland (OH). He is former Executive Director of the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and holds a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Akron. Dr. William L. Bainbridge currently serves as President and CEO of SchoolMatch, and as a Distinguished Research Professor at The University of Dayton. He is the former superintendent of three school districts in Ohio and Virginia, and former Assistant to the Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction. He has served as a lead consultant in SchoolMatch Audits of Educational Effectiveness in school systems in over 30 states. He was named Educator of the Year by the Ohio PTA and has served as educational consultant to over 400 corporations and hundreds of school systems. He is a Fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners and Diplomate of the National Academy for School Executives. He has been featured on NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, CBS radio and over 400 national and local television and radio programs. He earned his Ph.D. at The Ohio State University, and completed post-doctoral studies at Columbia University. Megan L. Rand, M.A., Associate Editor at SchoolMatch. She previously served in research with The Corporate Executive Board in Washington, D.C., as supervising editor of Brain-juice.com and as a consultant in textbook development. She holds a B.A. from Miami University, Oxford, OH, and an M.A. from Brown University, Providence, RI. Martine L. Stephens, M.A., Senior Editor and Audit Coordinator at SchoolMatch, Assistant Professor in the English Department and Writing Resource Center at Ohio Wesleyan University and former Instructor in English for the Osaka (Japan) International University for Women/Summer Institute at Ohio Dominican College. She is completing work on a Ph.D. in English at The Ohio State University. |
