Using Data to Drive Proactive Decisions

I recently attended a webinar titled "How Districts Can Use Data to Drive Proactive Decisions." The presentation was hosted by Education Week and featured presentations from the Consortium of School Networking, two school districts that are currently using data-driven decision making processes, and a company called SAS (which originally stood for Statistical Analysis System). The information dovetailed perfectly with what we have been talking about in CEDO 565.

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One of the presenters likened data to a flashlight for all stakeholders to more clearly see what goes on within an organization. I thought that was a great image. They also talked about how extracting and analyzing data used to be a painstaking process, but has become much more user friendly thanks to advances in technology and software, and a better understanding of how data is collected and utilized.

One of the big topics of discussion was the concept of creating a data rich culture. Not all that long ago, organizations would ask themselves, "How did we do last year?" Today, it is much more common for organizations to ask themselves, "How are we doing right now?" The presenter talked about the seven steps necessary to foster a data rich culture, which are:
1. Clear vision
2. Learning from colleagues
3. Self-review and analysis
4. Ensuring commitment and trust
5. Fostering professional development
6. Establish data meetings (data retreats)
7. Limiting barriers to effective data use

They talked about establishing and leveraging support for a data-driven culture and using standards-based measures to inform instructional decisions (a concept I have blogged about previously). Once a data rich culture is established, it becomes possible for the organization to adopt a continuous improvement model that tracks key indicators and design and implement a data governance strategy to ensure data quality.

This all sounds great but as we all know, implementation in a school environment is never that easy. The presenters addressed this reality by going over several considerations schools or district will have to face:
1. Is there commitment by all stakeholders to use data for continuous improvement at the district and school level?
2. Do district and school leaders model data-driven decision making as a key aspect of their roles and responsibilities?
3. Are people held accountable for the use of data at the district, school and classroom level?
4. Is time provided for teachers to examine data to inform their instructional practices (i.e. through PLCs)?
5. Are teachers open to adjusting instruction based on data about student learning?
6. To what degree are district and/or school decisions made based on the data (i.e. instructional decisions at the school level or curricular decisions at the district level)?
7. Do district policies exist for the use of data, data management and/or data analysis?

I think my district has already started down the path of building a data rich culture. Many key personnel have already bought into the concept - especially those associated with the virtual school where data is particularly easy to access. What those who may resist this shift need to understand is that data is a tool (think flashlight) not an attack. It is not a criticism or a judgement. It's about understanding the reality as it is right now so we can make things better. Data is all about replacing hunches with evidence and identifying current and future trends for better decision making. It empowers stakeholders by giving them the information they need to impact curriculum, programs and what and how students are taught. This was a fascinating presentation and I only wish everyone in my district would have been able to see it.