Data, Data, Everywhere

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Data, Data, Everywhere

• Morphing from Data Desperate to Data Driven

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Dr. Jo Campbell, Presenter

• Assistant Superintendent, Council Bluffs
  Community School District
• Doctorate, Columbia University
• Masters Degree from Bank Street College and
  Parsons School of Design
• National presenter on Practical Project
  Management, Safety Security in Schools, Working
  with Marginal Staff, Electronic Portfolios, NCLB,
  Steps to Raising Achievement, etc.

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The purpose of this presentation is to share
how one district went from no use of data to a
highly data driven district.
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Council Bluffs Community School District Who
Are We?

• Community
• Council Bluffs, Iowa, Iowas Leading Edge
• Population is 58,715
• Median family income is 42,715
• Median home price is 78,000

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School District

• 3 High Schools (9-12)
• 2 Junior High Schools (7-8)
• 14 Elementary Schools (PK-6)
• Students 9,671
• Teachers 726
• Free/Reduced 51
• SPED 14.8
• Minority 12.43
• Budget 86,000,000

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Internal Factors Influencing Change

• Visionary Leadership
• Belief that data drives instruction
• Positive belief system w/ very high expectations

• Need to improve student achievement, flat lined
  for twenty years
• Frustration with the lack of any reliable system

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External Factors Influencing Change

• Project EASIER (Iowas electronic data gathering
  initiative)
• No Child Left Behind
• All of these became an influence after 2001.
• Started efforts in 1997.

• Iowa Professional Development Model
• Iowa Teaching Standards

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What it Looked Like in 1997

• The district did most of its communication on
  yellow legal pads.
• Papers files were EVERYWHERE!

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The VISION

• To increase student achievement through a data
  driven initiative to organize resources and focus
  on learner outcomes and ultimate success.

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The Solution

• A foundation of SIF compliant enterprise
  solutions to organize the workload, identify
  areas needing improvement, and strategically
  target instruction.
• A partnership with the Loess Hills AEA 13
  (Intermediary Agency) that provides help to the
  district with people power.
• A focused plan and aggressive timeline that
  ensured a step-by-step progress toward the VISION.

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Implementation Plan

• Moving from the struggles of a total paper system
  to nearly a paperless system started in 1997.

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The Transformation

• 1997-1998 the foundation was built.
• A committee was formed to study student
  management systems.
• SASIxp was adopted.
• Hardware/network readiness was studied.
• An implementation plan was created.
• What data existed was converted.

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1998-1999 Implementation

• Hardware configuration.
• District wide staff training took place.
• Data was inputted into the system.
• SASIxp becomes District Student Management System
  with a deadline for all to use.
• Safety issues were addressed for the network, but
  also the district, through a new telephony system
  for consistent communication, and the beginning
  stages of digital cameras were pursued.

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1999-2000Take it to the Classroom

• CLASSxp implementation district wide
• AEA 13 management consultant hired
• District wide training
• Revision of SASIxp data to meet district/state
  requirements
• Began participation in Iowa Department of
  Educations Project EASIER data mining
• ABACUSxp implementation (Secondary Only)

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2000-2001 ABACUSxp Five Year Implementation Cycle
Begins

• Curriculum Frameworks (Standards Based
  Curriculum) is entered into the ABACUSxp
  Curriculum Management System.
• Tranquility Solutions Special Education
  Management System Implementation.
• Aggressive staff development plan brought
  on-board all SPED Staff needed a drop-dead
  deadline for use.
• Aggressive timeline was used to ensure all SPED
  data was located within one data management
  system no other systems were allowed after a
  certain date.
• District-wide data management teams were formed
  and began to meet monthly.

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2001-2002 System Refinements

• Second AEA data management consultant hired.
• Standards Based Elementary Report Cards
  implemented via ABACUSxp.
• Ancillary products integrated into the Data
  Management System (Library, Food Service, Grade
  Book, etc.)

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2002-2003 Maximization of System Functionality

• Custom databases created to handle functions not
  contained within the Enterprise System Software
  Packages. (work orders, injury reports, Guided
  Reading Library, fire/disaster drills, etc.)
• Infrastructure enhancements to ensure the smooth
  operation of the Enterprise System (wireless
  network building-to-building).
• ETS implementation staff supervision and
  evaluation system tied to the Iowa Teaching
  Standards was created and required across the
  district.

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2003-2004Data for the Masses

• Score Analyzer implemented to take disaggregated
  data to all staff.
• A rich variety of assessment results are now
  available at every users desktop.
• Introduction of district-wide data standards.
• Secondary curriculum is entered into the ABACUSxp
  Curriculum Management System.

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2004-2005The Present

• Standards-based grade reporting initiated at the
  secondary level (7-12) via ABACUSxp.
• Initial planning to convert from Tranquility
  Solutions to Clarity (web-based SPED Data
  Management System).
• Implementation of the first ever, Human Resources
  System and an upgrade of Payroll and Finance
  through the acquisition of CrossPointe.

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How Has Data Effected This District?
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This District Is Results Driven. Systems Are Now
In Place That Have

• Increased student achievement through data driven
  initiatives that organize resources and focus on
  teacher and learner success.

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All Staff Use Data, Whether They are in Support
or on the Front Lines of Teaching and Learning.

• Staff meet every Monday to discuss data
  indicating gains made by the use of
  research-based strategies that are proven to work.

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Systems that Work

• Trend line achievement gains have been lauded by
  the State of Iowa.
• Teachers have proficiency reports on each student
  on their desk top when they return in the fall.

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Decisions are Driven by Data

• Staffing decisions are made by consistent and
  accurate data on enrollment.
• Purchasing decisions are made by focusing on
  instructional needs.
• Marginal staff decisions are made focused on
  student achievement.

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Planning for the Future

• Implementation of CrossPointe
• Implementation of Clarity
• Centralized Database Option for Student
  Information System
• Comprehensive Data Warehousing Solution
• Finalize security cameras in last two buildings

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Challenges

• The roads that lead to where we want to be are
  littered will hills, curves, and potholes.

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Impending Challenges

• Declining Enrollment
• Reduction in State Aid to Education
• Reduction or elimination in Federal Funding
• Staff Reductions
• Expanded State and Federal Mandates
• Zero Balancing of Technology Funding

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Overcoming Challenges

• In order to increase achievement, we must work
  smarter (not harder).
• Follow established data management standards.

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Who may or may not have done well on
state-mandated tests, once said, "Not
everything that counts can be counted, and not
everything that can be counted counts." Albert
Einstein

• Our challenge is to make what we count, COUNT!

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Next Step

• Move the district from the first paradigm of a
  challenging idiosyncratic district with only a
  few people accessing data
• From the second paradigm of a functional, person
  dependant (where the district is now)
• To, ultimately, IDEAL or systematic, which means
  that data is seamlessly integrated into all daily
  job routines.

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The Council Bluffs Community School District is
approaching total transparent use of
technology with maximum efficiency in use of data
for all levels of decision making.
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Questions/Comments?

• Feel free to contact me
• Dr. Jo Campbelljcampbel_at_cbcsd.org