The 89th Annual CERA Conference, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California, was well-attended by approximately 300 educational researchers, evaluation and assessment specialists in public and charter schools, representatives from higher education and other related fields. We were fortunate to have distinguished keynote speakers from the California Department of Education, the National Center on Teacher Quality and the California Organization to Reform Education. Each speaker presented a glimpse into emerging instructional innovations in teacher evaluation, new standards and assessments, and a new collaborative structure of seven leading school districts that is designed to improve public education. The keynote PowerPoints, and Outstanding Paper, are available by selecting the “Past Events” button on the left side of this page. You are also able to view the presenters’ abstracts (with contact information) in the same location.

We had the advantage of hearing emerging information through the lens of the state, the federal government and a non-profit collaborative. We are seeing a strong state and federal focus on applying educational data to teacher, school and district decision-making; creating a culture and climate that develops and supports the use of data; designing ways to promote data use; and the imperative connection of student data to instructional practice. This focus on educational data will also bring changes in accountability at all levels for all students’ achievement. Many of the presentations by colleagues in the field provided research findings that will help guide educational agencies in their work.

I hope that you were among the many people who commented on how much they learned from the presentations or the fun they had at the President’s Reception. As I looked around the room of attendees from the podium, I saw so many familiar and distinguished faces. It was both humbling and an honor to be a member of a group of passionate, intelligent, and distinguished folks, all there to learn more to be in the service of children. Thank you.

Please mark your calendars for the 2011 CERA conference – December 1 & 2, 2011, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim! It looks to be “magical!”

Paula Carroll
Immediate Past President, CERA, 2010
Office:  (209) 468-9261
Email: pcarroll@sjcoe.net