Understanding the Value of a DataDriven DecisionMaking Process

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Understanding the Value of a Data-Driven
Decision-Making Process

• ASBO Internationals Annual Meeting
• October 14, 2007
• Toronto, Canada

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Understanding the Value of a Data-Driven
Decision-Making Process

• Participants
• Irene Spero, Chief Operating Officer, CoSN
• Anthony N. Dragona, RSBA, Business Administrator,
  Union City Board of Education, Union City, NJ

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Understanding the Value of a Data-Driven
Decision-Making Process

• Learning Objectives
• Understand the technology purchases necessary for
  a data-driven decision making process
• Identify factors required to calculate the costs
  and benefits of a proposed technology purchase
• Learn how school districts are approaching this
  value calculation

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CoSN Mission

• Serving K-12 technology leaders who through their
  strategic use of technology, improve teaching and
  learning.

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CoSN Initiatives

• Highly Rated Leadership Initiatives provide
  educational technology leaders with the tools to
  increase their effectiveness and the ability to
  gain valuable insight into the needs of the K12
  education technology market.
• Existing leadership initiatives include
• Budgeting with Taking Total Cost of Ownership
  (CTO),
• Calculating the Value of Investment (VOI),
• Cyber Security,
• Data-Driven Decision Making and
• Open Technologies in K-12.

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CoSN Tools

• Launched in 2003 by CoSN to help educators use
  data effectively, the Data driven Decision Making
  initiative is
• a highly-respected source of up-to-date,
  unbiased information
• an easy to use mechanism for educating school
  leaders
• a nationally-recognized framework for sharing
  knowledge
• Supported by IBM,SAS , Dell, Pearson Education,
  SchoolNet, and Texas Instruments.
• Scholastic Administr_at_tor is the Media Partner.

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CoSN Tools

• CoSN tools for educators on data-driven decision
  making in the educational process.
• Website, www.3d2know.org, with high quality
  resources, presentation materials, case studies,
  and publications.
• Background papers
• Self Assessment Tool
• E-newsletter
• Best practices
• Seminars for policymakers
• Conference presentations

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Understanding the Value of a Data-Driven
Decision-Making Process

• Implementing a data-driven budget decision
  process requires
• a full understanding of all proposed technology
  purchases, and
• an accurate calculation of costs and benefits.  

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CoSN Tools

• How do you determine the value of proposed
  investments (Which way to go)?
• Calculating the Value of Investment (VOI)
• http//www.edtechvoi.org

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VOI and the School Mission

• The business of schools is education
• Value of Investment Total benefit towards
  school mission or goals vs. Anticipated costs of
  project
• ROI (used by business) is only effective as it
  allows resources to be diverted to school mission
• Need to determine and measure qualitative
  benefits
• Costs can be estimated
• Measuring benefits is more difficult

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Technology ApplicationsValue Measures

• Infrastructure improvement ROI computer
  services staff and/or user efficiencies reducing
  costs
• Administrative computing applications such as
  accounting and SIS ROI reduced administrative
  costs
• Community outreach Internet applications to
  communicate with parents, students and the
  community at large some ROI, but more community
  image and student performance value
• Teacher computing Teacher productivity and
  teaching tools ROI plus value for enhanced
  student achievement
• Student computing Improved student achievement
  potential personnel productivity

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Technology Matters
Technology Tools
Data
Information

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Components of a Data Based Decision Making System
Reporting and Analysis ServicesTurning data into
useful information
School Interoperability Framework IMS
Dissemination Sharing data with the community
(ie report cards)
Data Warehouse
Reports
State and Federal Reporting Meeting reporting
compliance
Training Learning how to use data to make
informed decisions.
Personalized Instruction
Source US Department of Education, 2003.
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Measure (Score) Benefits

• Determine any Financial Savings
• savings, personnel productivity (time saved),
  cost avoidance and increased revenue (increased
  student attendance)
• Now determine Qualitative Benefits (The
  business of schools is education)
• Tie project benefits directly to school or
  district mission, values, goals, mandates
• Importance of the value, goal, mandate
• Effect of the benefit on this value, goal,
  mandate
• State benefits in measurable terms

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Qualitative Benefits

• Benefits Worksheet Categories
• Student Achievement
• Student Equity
• Student Behavior and Social Growth
• Teachers and Administrative Staff
• Political Value Community Goodwill
• Safety and Security
• Curricula Enhancement
• 21st Century Skills Workforce Development and
  College Prep

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Dont Evaluate Technology in a Vacuum
Success should ultimately be measured by
whether the educational goals have been met

• Schools need to understand their educational
  goals and how technology will support their goals
  something a TCO assessment and Value of
  Investment (VOI) project assessment helps to
  clarify

The business of schools is education
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Understanding the Value of a Data-Driven
Decision-Making Process

• Anthony N. Dragona, RSBA, Business
  Administrator, Union City Board of Education,
  Union City, NJ

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Demographics

• Union City, New Jersey 1mile from the Lincoln
  Tunnel to New York
• 9 Elementary Schools, 1 Middle School, 2 High
  Schools and 1 Adult Learning Center
• High Population Density - Over 78,000 residents
  in 1.4 square miles
• High Poverty Level - 87 of students are eligible
  for Free/Reduced Lunch
• Socio-Economic Stress - requires supplemental
  services to students and parents
• 54 of total student population are Limited
  English Proficient or Special Needs
• 97 of total student population do not speak
  English at home
• Superintendent, 3 Asst. Superintendents and
  Business Administrator were all students of the
  school system.

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Want to provide world-class technology?

• Key Factors to consider
• District Strategic Plan supports technology
• School Administrators believe that technology
  supports the curriculum
• Teachers are comfortable in the use of technology
• Professional Development
• Students are challenged to use technology as an
  educational tool
• Student are taught the ethical responsibilities
  that accompany technology.
• Funding - traditional or creative

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Trends to Consider

• Technology Will Increase the Speed of
  Communication and the Pace of Advancement or
  Decline.
• Twenty-first century technology is having a
  profound effect on every person, every
  organization, and every nation on earth.
• New technologies will not only help schools
  deliver a sound education, but they will also
  play a central role in helping today's students
  shape tomorrow's world.
• Because many students have more technology in
  their bedrooms than some schools have in their
  classrooms, they will come to class armed with
  more information on some subjects than their
  teachers.

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Impact Technology Trend

• Great teachers will not only serve as subject
  matter specialists but will also become partners
  with students, helping them learn how to turn
  information into usable knowledge and knowledge
  into wisdom.
• Virtually opening the classroom to the world,
  helping students use communications and other
  technologies to deal with real world problems and
  opportunities.
• Schools will use emerging technologies to help
  drive the restructuring of the system, the
  redesign of school facilities, and the shape of
  professional development.

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Information Acquisition Knowledge Creation

• Knowledge Creation and Breakthrough Thinking,
  Will Stir a New Era of Enlightenment.
• As people sense relationships between and among
  ideas, information, and experiences, they see
  things in a new light.
• That's how knowledge creation and breakthrough
  thinking take place.
• Much of what needs to be done, in varying
  degrees, is already there interdisciplinary
  teaching, applications of cognitive research,
  instruction for multiple intelligences, a focus
  on teaching thinking and reasoning skills.
• The enlightened student will see relationships
  across all disciplines and overcome "the ongoing
  fragmentation of knowledge.

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Education/Technology Partnerships

• Choosing the right partner
• Big picture
• Mac
• PC
• Thin Client
• Support
• Before - competitive pricing
• During - communication / delivery
• After purchase - professional development and
  service

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Keith Kendall, managing director for HP Financial
Services says

• "If it's an appreciating asset, something that
  gains value over time, then you invest cash in
  it.  If it's an asses that loses value over time,
  you invest somebody else's cash in it.  And since
  IT equipment typically loses its value over time,
  and in fact loses its value a lot faster than a
  lot of other fixed assets -- like truck or punch
  presses -- IT assets are a prime candidate for
  leasing in any company, larger or small.""When
  you enter into a lease, the ability to progress
  from one generation of technology to the next, to
  expand your technology solution, to rid yourself
  of obsolete equipment is far easier and far
  smoother, because of the way a lease is
  structured for small and medium business.

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Leasing

• Pros
• Replaces obsolete computers
• Substantially reduces annual cost
• Payments can be spread over time (avoid massive
  expenditures)
• Disposal strategy for used equipment
• Facilitate rapid technology deployment

• Cons
• Unacceptable risks to signing multi-year
  contracts with one technology or vendor
• Lack of negotiation and contract management
• Spending money to customize, expand, or modify
  equipment
• Inadequate evaluation of the leasing offerings

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Education/Technology Partnerships

• Success story
• Union City entered into a lease purchase
  agreement in June 2005.
• 640,000 of equipment payable over 3 years
• 175,000 annually 525,000 payment
• 115,000 discounted
• Extended Lease 2006 - Reinvested 175,000
• 240,000 value _at_ 65,000 discount
• Obsolete equipment trade in
• Limited value, but solves disposal issues
• New Facilities Purchasing

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Highlights

• 95.2 Student Attendance Rate
• 97 Teacher Attendance Rate
• 83 High School Graduation Rate
• Low Rate of Out of District Special Needs
  placement.
• 23 Student Mobility Rate
• District has never applied for additional
  Supplemental Abbott Aid

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Accolades and Success

• Sustained academic achievement has become
  institutionalized
• Success is a norm not an exception
• Union City students achieve the highest test
  scores among all urban school districts in New
  Jersey on standardized assessments.
• 5 Benchmark Schools - NJ Business Coalition
• 3 Best Practice Schools - NJ Dept. of Education
• 1 Blue Ribbon School - US Dept. of Education
• 1 Governors School of Excellence Award
• 1 Title I Distinguished School - US Dept. of
  Education
• 2 Title I Distinguished Educators
• New Jersey Technology Teacher of the Year - NJAET
• Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting
  - ASBO Intl. (4 years)

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For additional information http//www..union-city
.k12.nj.us Anthony N. Dragona, School Business
Administrator adragona_at_union-city.k12.nj.us

201 348.5677
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Data Collection And Integration Checklist

• Is a data warehouse in place?
• Are the technical and human support tools in
  place to move data from warehouse to schoolhouse?
• Are systems developed to integrate data into
  instruction?
• Are teachers using assessments to measure
  progress?
• Are curriculum and assessments aligned to
  standards?

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Data Analysis Checklist

• Do teachers have access to data in an easy-to-use
  format soon after assessment?
• Does the district support the process with
  analytical tools and trained staff to give
  decision makers confidence in the data and tools?
• Are teachers trained to use item analysis to
  understand student outcomes and instructional
  effectiveness?

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Using Data Checklist

• Does the district provide the tools and training
  to interpret and query data?
• Have data teams developed a process for
  identifying, recommending and implementing
  intervention based on data?
• Do district and school-site change agents support
  teachers and their use of targeted interventions?

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Data Collection And Integration Checklist

• Is a data warehouse in place?
• Are the technical and human support tools in
  place to move data from warehouse to schoolhouse?
• Are systems developed to integrate data into
  instruction?
• Are teachers using assessments to measure
  progress?
• Are curriculum and assessments aligned to
  standards?

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Data Analysis Checklist

• Do teachers have access to data in an easy-to-use
  format soon after assessment?
• Does the district support the process with
  analytical tools and trained staff to give
  decision makers confidence in the data and tools?
• Are teachers trained to use item analysis to
  understand student outcomes and instructional
  effectiveness?

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Using Data Checklist

• Does the district provide the tools and training
  to interpret and query data?
• Have data teams developed a process for
  identifying, recommending and implementing
  intervention based on data?
• Do district and school-site change agents support
  teachers and their use of targeted interventions?

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For Additional information www.3d2know.org

• What's New
• Publications
• Best Practices
• Other Resources
• Subscribe to the Newsletter
• FAQs
• Assessment Tool

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THANKS!!

• Irene K. Speroirene_at_cosn.orgChief Operating
  Officer
• 202-861-2676 x112www.cosn.org