Karla Denny, Director of Communications, 785-296-4876
November 17, 2008
For Immediate Release
Kathy Gosa, Kansas State Department of Education, awarded DQC 2008 Leadership Award
TOPEKA—Four state and district leaders were honored by the Data Quality campaign (DQC) during the Council of Chief State School Officers’ (CCSSO) Annual Policy Forum in Austin, Texas, on November 15, 2008. The DQC, a national partnership to improve the quality, accessibility and use of data in education, recognized the award winners for their leadership and innovation in championing the vital need for quality education data.
Kathy Gosa, director of information technology at the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), was recognized as the 2008 State Data Director of the Year. Gosa joined KSDE from private industry and brought to the agency a vision to integrate all areas of the organization under a cohesive data system. Under Gosa’s leadership, KSDE has deployed a statewide longitudinal data system that not only provides valuable insights to policymakers, but also reports valuable information about students back to the teachers to help them plan instruction. Kathy has been instrumental in building governance policies that have codified how data are shared and used throughout and across education systems in Kansas. She has focused on ensuring the quality and promoting the use of these data at the school, district, and state levels.
“Kathy’s vision, focus and foresight have resulted in the use of data in Kansas as an integral part of the improved performance of students,” said Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Alexa Posny. Posny continued, “This recognition by her peers in other states is well-deserved and highlights her tremendous leadership skills in this endeavor.”
Other leaders honored at the meeting included Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell and Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak jointly as State Policymaker of the Year for their efforts in Pennsylvania, and Joe Kitchens, superintendent of Western Heights Public Schools in Oklahoma, as the District Data Leader of the Year.
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