Duval County Public Schools

Professional Development Resources

The Data and Assessment Team (DAT) provides many professional development opportunities for Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) employees.

Performance Matters Training:

We offer training in Performance Matters, which ranges in topics from building assessments within the platform to utilizing the reports to monitor progress. 

Spotlight on Performance Matters: This class will provide a complete view of progress monitoring, both from the perspective of a student and a teacher/administrator. While there are many ways to perform these tasks, we hope to highlight ways that may make monitoring performance easier and more efficient.

Creating Interactive Items: This training will focus on how to build technology-enhanced items within PM. These items are attached to standards to aid in data analysis and can mimic various interaction types. By learning how to build items, users can then create tests using their own material.

Test Creation: This session will offer an introduction to test writing within the PM platform. Participants will build assessments from items in banks as well as multiple choice items they will create. Both test styles will be covered including Online Administration and Answer Key Only (AKO) assessments.

Microsoft Excel Training:

Additionally, we facilitate multiple levels of Microsoft Excel trainings. These courses span from beginner to advanced users and cover a wide range of topics. The skills covered include but are not limited to filters, find and replace, formulas, XLOOKUP, PivotTables, and creating engaging data visualizations. 

Foundations of Excel - Level 1: This course is designed to introduce new or developing users to Excel. The work will include skills such as adding and deleting columns, formatting, formulas, filtering, and printing spreadsheets.

Advanced Excel - Level 2: This session is geared towards users that are proficient in all basic skills. Using prerequisite abilities such as formulas and basic formatting tools, participants will learn how to use tools such as VLOOKUP, PivotTables, graphing, and Mail Merge.

Mastering Excel - Level 3: This training will expand on the Advanced Excel Level 2 course. Topics covered in this Level 3 course will include, but are not limited to the following; turning a data set into an Excel table with slicers, combining data from separate sheets with XLOOKUP, exploring more Pivot Table features, and utilizing Advanced Excel formulas.

Data Visualization for Excel - Level 4: This class will expand on table formatting and PivotTables previously taught in prior Excel courses, while also introducing various visualization graphs to best enhance and present student data.

CAST Training:

Finally, DAT also trains DCPS employees on the Collaborative Assessment System for Teachers (CAST), which is DCPS' teacher evaluation system. DAT handles all questions or concerns regarding student growth scores. Human Resources assists with inquiries related to Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDPs) and observations.

Demystifying CAST: This course is designed for all teachers and school leaders to better understand the growth portion of CAST and VAM evaluations. Some topics that will be covered: major updates to the MyAccountability  Portal, an overview of the different tests that are used for the growth portion of your evaluation, and how your growth scores are calculated.