Data Driven Decision Making

"Information is the key to holding schools accountable for improved performance every year among every student group. Data is our best management tool. I often say that what gets measured, gets done. If we know the contours of the problem, and who is affected, we can put forward a solution. Teachers can adjust lesson plans. Administrators can evaluate curricula. Data can inform decision-making. Thanks to No Child Left Behind, we're no longer flying blind." - Margaret Spellings, U. S. Secretary of Education

In 2002, the responsibilities for school administrators increased drastically with the passage of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. School administrators are now responsible for monitoring and enabling student and teacher performance improvement. This kind of reporting typically requires a sophisticated system for data collection and analysis. The types of data collected determine the types of decisions that school board members, principals and teachers make. Districts typically focus on three main types of data and occasionally use the fourth type.

Types of Data Districts Collect:
• Demographic data include background information on students, staff and schools, such as gender, ethnicity, identification number, number of years in the district, attendance, teacher certification and school enrollment.
• Achievement data include student results on state assessments, district tests and teacher-developed tests.
• Instructional processes include information about the curriculum, interventions the student experienced, the teachers students were taught by and so on.
• Perception data include individual views, values and beliefs about systems where people work and learn, and may be gathered through questionnaires, interviews and observations.

Although all states and most districts have some sort of a data management system in place, the average system is often composed of a number of spreadsheets, databases and paper reports that are loosely connected, making it difficult to analyze the data. Many districts are using NCLB as a catalyst to move to data-driven decision-making. Many districts are using it to improve their technology infrastructure and formalize data collection and analysis procedures, allowing them to make informed decisions based on data rather than assumptions.

Data-driven decision-making has opened a new world of opportunities for schools and districts to provide professional educators, students, and parents access to large amounts of information. Today, schools can enable key decision makers with data and information to facilitate more informed decision-making, boost overall school performance and improve student achievement.

Without a formal data analysis system, districts often fail to uncover and address critical issues that occur at the school level. This puts them at risk for missing important opportunities to improve student achievement and attain greater operational efficiencies.

There’s nothing more powerful than data to help district and school leaders develop a solid plan with measurable results for continuous improvement. Through the proper use of data, districts can:
• Narrow achievement gaps
• Improve teacher quality
• Improve curriculum development
• Find the root causes of problems
• Share best practices
• Communicate more effectively with key stakeholders
• Motivate students and increase parental involvement

Schools successful in using data to support decision-making and improvement use the district resources available to them, create a school structure where data use is embedded in the daily schedule, and use staff expertise to continually develop data analysis skills. Other school factors include: strong principal support and leadership; ongoing use and analysis of timely, student-level data; expert assistance in data use and instructional strategies; interventions to improve teaching and learning; school improvement plans and teams; and professional development opportunities for teachers.

In conclusion, Data Driven Decision Making is here to stay. There are so many benefits to using this method to improve individual schools as well as districts in their entirety. As future school leaders, I feel that we need to become familiar with the process of data collecting, data analyzing, and using that information to drive the decisions that will be used to make improvements in the school or district.