Rene Steingraber, PUSD’s Testing Coordinator, Uses Data Driven Ideas and Results to Boost Learning for All Students
By Tara Fort • Photo by Trisha Shaffer
Prescott Unified School District’s (PUSD) Testing Coordinator Rene Steingraber’s goal is to meet the district’s ever-changing proficiency testing and assessment needs. With that in mind, she assists educators, board members, and the public in understanding the data state testing provides through its assessment of students in grades three through 11.
“In the past, states did not have all of the proficiency testing expectations required by law today,” Rene said. “Over time, districts began seeing a need to better monitor the learning of all students.”
As a result of the new legislation, districts started to use district-wide benchmark testing to evaluate student progress in learning throughout the entire year. Rene added, “The purpose of this testing is not to ‘grade’ students, but rather measure if students are progressing toward mastery of the standards. My focus has always been to do what I can to help administrators, teachers, and ultimately children reach their fullest learning potential. Education is such an important part of any community, and I have appreciated the opportunities that I’ve been given at PUSD to assist in clarifying some of the data concerns and misconceptions.”
Previously employed as a facilitator for a global educational company, and for 31 years as a teacher, Peer Review Consultant, Educational Technology Trainer and Data Coordinator in Toledo, Ohio, Rene retired in 2015 and started working for PUSD in December 2017. In her current role with the District, Steingraber’s position includes “aggregating academic data from state and district assessments, putting the data into a usable format, and facilitating meetings with administration, leadership teams and the PUSD board.”
“This has allowed me to connect with principals and teachers,” she said. “It’s always enlightening to have a fresh perspective from those who work hands-on with students. Having the opportunity to test students with giftedness has given me a well-needed connection to students. They never cease to surprise me with their unique ways of understanding the world.”
She said she enjoys most “the opportunity to research data and explore ideas that will ultimately increase learning for all students.”
PUSD Superintendent Clark Tenney said, “Rene is wonderful! She has helped PUSD reach a whole new level of efficiency and success with standardized testing. We are preparing, successfully testing, analyzing, and responding to our test data like never before.”
Rene and her husband love traveling back to Ohio and Canada to visit family and embarking on adventures in their RV, including the journey that brought them to Prescott in 2015.
“Coming to Prescott has been a blessing to me and my husband. We feel very fortunate to have stumbled across this great community with so much faith and kindness in the people who call Prescott home.”
For more information about Rene Steingraber and the Prescott Unified School District, visit www.prescottschools.com.