Are You Ready for DataDriven DecisionMaking: The School Information Support System Questionnaire SIS

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Are You Ready for Data-Driven Decision-Making?
The School Information Support System
Questionnaire (SISSQ)

• 19th Annual Convention of UCEA
• Nashville, TN
• November 11, 2005
• Jonathan D. Becker, J.D., Ph.D.
• Hofstra University
• Barbara A. Donnellan
• Lindenhurst (NY) Public Schools

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Background

• Epistemological Shift
• Research Question
• Do school systems have the necessary technologies
  and organizational capacity to accept this shift?

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Conceptual Framework
Source McLaughlin et al. (1998)
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The Properties of the ISC

• Cooperation
• The quality of the information produced depends
  on the mutual investment and interaction of the
  three roles and five functions

• Dependency
• Each function is dependent on the quality of the
  preceding function

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The Study

• Purpose
• Illuminate the degree to which districts can
• undertake the five functions of the ISC

• Target Population
• STEP and LEAP Coordinators in Nassau and Suffolk
  Counties

• Research Methods
• Web-based survey (SISSQ)
• Survey development Items were mapped to
  readiness
• checklist provided by McLaughlin et al (1998)
• Panel of Experts
• Pilot
• Field Test

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Results of the Study

• Descriptive Statistics on Roles and Systems
• Roles positions of respondents
• Perceptions of respondents
• Data management processes in districts
• District information management systems
• Vendors and access
• Factor Analyses
• Exploratory factor analysis to discover scales to
  document the degree to which school districts can
  undertake the five functions of the ISC

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Three threads of summary conclusions

• Variability of information roles and systems.
• In too many cases, information support remains an
  afterthought, a low priority.
• Widespread use of informationbut
• is it based on quality data?

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The Seven New Components of the SISSQ

• First Function Identifying Concepts and
  Measures
• Component 1 Involvement in District Mission and
  Goals
• Component 2 Determination of Desired Outcomes
• Second Function Collecting and Storing Data
• Component 1 Collection and Storage of Data
• Third Function Restructuring and Analyzing
  Facts
• Component 1 Internal and External Accessibility
  
• Component 2 Organizational Commitment to Data
  Analysis
• Fourth Function Delivering and Reporting
  Information
• Component 1 Information Delivery and Reporting
• Fifth Function Information Use to Influence
  Decisions
• Component 1 - Information Use for Decision-Making

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How Can The SISSQ Help Schools?

• An audit of information support systems at the
  district level
• To determine how well districts are managing data
  and supporting the capacity to turn data into
  information and knowledge
• To determine what we need to do to improve how
  districts manage data

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Next Steps for the SISSQ

• Another field test with larger sample
• Confirmatory factor analysis
• Outlier case studies
• Questions to be addressed
• Unit of analysis how many respondents per
  district?
• The roles
• of individuals taking on the roles and
  relationship to size of district
• Technological systems in relation to scores on
  SISSQ

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Check it out!

• http//people.hofstra.edu/faculty/Jonathan_D_Becke
  r/
• Click on SISSQ link to see the questionnaire
• Click on Publications to find the paper