News and information for staff members and the Madison community
Vol. III No. 6 - June 2, 2008
Art Rainwater insisted that all departments consistently and continuously look at its' data and monitor where improvements were needed and whether progress was being made. He expected that as the data were analyzed that the question "why" would be asked over and over to get to root causes or root problems of issues so that improvements could be made. This was an expectation for all departments of the organization, whether looking at student performance or how much replacement roofs cost.
As Art guided us to look at how all students were performing academically, attending school and involving themselves with others in the school setting, it became apparent that the data needed to be looked at more deeply and analyzed thoroughly. He did not want to know about "all" in the aggregate or "some" of the students; he wanted to know about each student. The data showed us that we, as a district, had work to do so that each child had the knowledge and skills needed for academic achievement and a successful life.
He expected that the research would be done, interventions planned and implemented and continuous evaluation be done to determine whether the interventions worked. This led to many successful initiatives in the district and changes in ones that were not working. Two of those initiatives that remain important to Art and for the district revolve around race and disabilities.
Art is passionate and consistent about including all students in all opportunities. His attention and persistence to all district employees participating in conversations about race, understanding his or her own race and culture, and setting the same expectations for all students was one of his "lines in the sand." His background in desegregation efforts in the Kansas City School District grounded him in this persistence of ensuring that all students must do well and that the adults had to take the lead.
Including students with disabilities in all aspects of school life was another passion of Art's. He argued often and vigorously for the necessary resources to support programs and services to meet their needs. He spoke often to the importance of meeting the needs of students early in their lives to attenuate problems later in their lives.
The data, the numbers, do matter if progress is to be made. Art's leadership to constantly improve is evident in the improvements in student achievement over the past ten years. He never wavered from his commitment to meet the district's mission and continuously strive for its vision for all students.
Yes, the data does tell the story!
Last Updated: Wed Aug 13 11:25:55 2008
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