“….there are a variety of ways schools can organize to effectively support ongoing conversations about student data…..being committed to building a ‘culture of inquiry’…..three activities that support this kind of school culture…..creating and guiding a data team; enabling collaborative work among faculty; and planning productive meetings.” [Boudett, Clay & Murnane, p.12] I do realize that I have used my school and the Reggio-Emilia Approach as examples for much of what I have posted on this blog, but I cannot ignore the analogies and validation that appear throughout muchj of my study. I realize the excerpt above is not technically a quote, but it is a great example of writing and thought that both supports and critiques what we do at the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center. I know my school is the best choice for students in Grand Rapids. I know there are numerous things we do well, and I also know there are many areas in which we need to improve. Two years ago, along with three team members, I was thrust into the responsibility of leading a grant writing team. As a new principal of a school in danger of closing, and with absolutely no experience in grant writing, this task was daunting. However, I accepted the challenge [I really had no choice] and dove into writing a grant to the Kellogg Foundation for funding to support a research project which was designed to identify which aspects of the Reggio Approach and our school structure were most effective and which would be best able to be replicated in traditional schools. We were ultimately awarded $200,000 for a two-year project which will end in 2013. The tie-in with the quote above really begins on the title page of Section 1 in Datawise. If you turn to page 11 in your text you will see a graphic representation of the inquiry process as the authors see it. I am including the following graphic that I took off the wall of one of my classrooms. Every staff member and student sees this every day. It is what guides us in our efforts to work and learn: