The DataInformed District

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The Data-Informed District

• Jeff Wayman
• The University of Texas at Austin
• jwayman_at_austin.utexas.edu
• Keynote presentation for The Urban Forum Series
  Designed to Increase High School Completion.
  November 2007, Syracuse NY.

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Todays Talk

• Introduction get on same page
• The Data-Informed District
• Illustrate with findings from a district-wide
  evaluation of data use
• Use recommendations to further describe the
  Data-Informed District

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The Data Motel

• School databases often resemble a Roach Motel
• Data go in, but they dont come out

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The New Buzzword Data-Driven

• Accountability and No Child Left Behind.
• Used in business for years.
• School effects research asserts data is important
  to school improvement.
• A new resource, from the boardroom to the
  classroom.

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What is Student Data?

• State assessments
• Formative assmts.
• Local assessments
• Grades, quizzes
• Student histories
• Free lunch

• Ethnicity
• Gender
• Parental info
• ILP information
• Work samples
• AND MORE!

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Why Would We Do This?

• More information on students is good
• Shorten a teachers day
• Help educators use data, not be used by data
• Integration, alignment, collaboration

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The Data-Informed District

• Clear understanding at every level about
  teaching, learning
• Data at every level support these understandings
• Data and uses are level-appropriate
• Integration!!

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(A Few) Aspects of a Data-Informed District

• Goals, definitions
• Technology
• Teachers
• Principals
• Professional Dev.
• Collaboration
• Assessment
• Implementation

• NCLB
• Central Office
• Superintendent
• Parents
• Students
• Supports
• Structures
• Leadership

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Calibration

• Wayman, Midgley, Stringfield (2006)
• Engines are calibrated districts, too
• What is teaching and learning?
• How will we conduct it?
• How will we know it when we see it?
• What will we do about it?

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Data-Informed District Other Things to Know

• Know the state of data use in your district
• Cant do this without technology
• Lives and dies in principals office
• All teachers must be independent and involved
• Central office connected to all levels

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A District-Wide Evaluation of Data Use

• Casper, WY
• 11,000 students
• 32 dropout rate
• Not an exemplary data-using district
• Visionary third-party evaluation of data, uses,
  and structures
• Youll see your district in this (really)

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Methodology

• Mixed methods
• 128 individuals interviewed
• 435 individuals took online survey
• Represented every office, position, and all but 3
  schools
• Report available at http//edadmin.edb.utexas.edu/
  datause

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Findings Data Use Barriers

• Data use is difficult and inefficient
• Weak district vision
• Computer systems not integrated
• No structures for data entry and maintenance
• Data bottlenecks, heavy dependence on others

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Findings Data Use Barriers

• Central office silos
• Need more PD Principals and teachers vastly
  unprepared
• Principals are not facilitators
• Few teachers connect data to practice

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Findings Data Use Facilitators

• Good uses in some schools
• Variety of PD opportunities
• Instructional Facilitators
• Office of Assessment and Research
• Attitudes, culture conducive to data use

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Recommendations

• Allow us a foundation to further explore the
  Data-Informed District
• Highlighted recs are specific to this district
  but applicable to all districts
• Youll be able to see your district in these
  recommendations
• Goals, Computer, Implementation

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Recommendations Goals Vision

• Calibration
• Involve every possible group
• Make process public, transparent, and accessible
• Discern data forms and uses for each role

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Recommendations Buy an Integrated Computer System

• Make technology the cornerstone
• Buy, dont build
• Data warehouse to integrate all systems
• User-friendly interface and features
• Wayman, Stringfield, Yakimowski (2004)

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Recommendations Implement a Data Initiative

• Build awareness from the start
• Center initiative around data system
• Roll out system and initiative in small,
  immediately useful doses
• Supports and structures
• Consistent data protocols
• Principals and teachers

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Conclusion

• Using data should not change educational work,
  but make it better
• Data use must be integrated and expected
  throughout district
• Evaluation is necessary
• More publications available at http//edadmin.edb.
  utexas.edu/datause

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Alejandra Drew