FROM DATA TO DECISIONS

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FROM DATA TO DECISIONS

• Keith Krueger, CEO
• Irene K. Spero, Vice President COSN
• 3rd Annual K-12 Education, Technology and
  Curriculum Summit
• Teachers College
• May 15, 2003

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• CoSN Mission
• To serve as the premier national voice for
  promoting the use of information technologies and
  the Internet to improve K-12 learning.
• WWW.COSN.ORG

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VISION TO KNOW AND DOwww.3d2know.org

• Launched by CoSN to help educators use data
  effectively with support from ETS, IBM and SAS
• Goals
• 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

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CONTEXT

• Standards driven reform
• Assessments tied to standards
• Raised expectations for all students
• Technology tools
• Accountability mandates in No Child Left Behind

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THE POWER OF DATA

• Assess the current and future needs of students
• Decide what to change
• Determine if goals are being met
• Engage in continuous school improvement
• Identify root causes of problems
• Promote accountability

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BARRIERS TO DATA USE

• Outdated technology
• Unclear priorities
• Distrust of data use

• Lack of training in data use
• No uniform data collection
• Lack of leadership at the school and district
  level

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WHATS INVOLVEDTHE PROCESS

• Setting the goals
• Planning implementation
• Monitoring progress
• Analyzing results

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DATA DISTRICTS PLANO I.S.D, (TX)

• Goal Suburban Dallas district with 63 schools,
  50,000 students, 6,500 employees seeking to
  improve student achievement
• Tools used in implementation
• Instructional management system upgraded to
  web-based learning system
• Computer adapted reading , math and language
  tests

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DATA DISTRICTS PLANO I.S.D, (TX)

• Process
• District and campus staff collaborate with
  teachers as a team
• District leadership supports continuous
  improvement
• Results Plano ISD Receives "Recognized" Ranking
  for Third Consecutive Year
• for all students and each student group at least
  80 passing TAAS in each subject area, 3.5 or
  less dropout rate, and at least 94 attendance
  rate.
• 39 Plano Schools Rated "Exemplary"
• at least 90 passing TAAS in each subject area,
  1 or less dropout rate, and at least 94
  attendance rate

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DATA DISTRICTS PEARL RIVER S.D.(NY)

• Goals
• continuous improvement built around three goals
  improve student academic achievement, improve
  public perception of the district, maintain
  fiscal stability and improve cost effectiveness
• Tools used in implementation
• Student Information System
• Compatible data warehouse

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DATA DISTRICTSPEARL RIVER (NY)

• Process
• Data collected from a variety of sources and
  analyzed promptly and results shared
• Analyses are compiled annually into a large data
  book
• System evaluated and adjusted throughout the year
  to align with successful completion of goals
• Results
• Per pupil expenditures decreased by 9 over the
  last decade with student achievement rising in
  the past five years

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DATA DISTRICTS POWAY S.D.( CA)

• Goal
• Use data as information and improve access to
  data
• Tools used in implementation
• Data warehouse
• Principals, teachers and district staff access
  data from desktop

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DATA DISTRICTS POWAY S.D.( CA)

• Process
• Establish linkages between IT and instructional
  staff to define project
• Organize and clean up years of data
• Define organizing principle of data warehouse
  student learning
• Results
• Data being turned into usable information to
  make decisions about student placement, summer
  schools needs, continued use of special programs,
  and appropriate textbooks.

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DATA DISTRICTSILLINOIS C.S.D 15

• Goal
• Continuous improvement in services throughout the
  district, including tracking curriculum against
  world class standards, computer access for all
  students and teachers, on time bus service and
  streamlined budgeting
• Tools used in implementation
• Data warehouse technology tracking 350 variables

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DATA DISTRICTSILLINOIS C.S.D 15

• Process
• Track 350 variables
• Data analyzed for trends and opportunities for
  improvement identified
• Teachers can see how well they are doing compared
  with other teachers in the district and state
• Lessons learned
• Build trust with commercial partners
• Let teachers lead and support them

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FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• What's New
• Publications And Best Practices
• Checklist For Decision Making
• Other Resources
• www.3d2know.org

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DATA DISTRICTS LESSONS LEARNED

• It takes time, a year to define goals and come up
  with a vision, another two years to roll out the
  plan with the data infrastructure and training.
• It has to start at the top, with the board
  defining accountability and superintendent and
  district leadership supporting and leading the
  process.
• Progress has to be measurable and pervasive
• Data driven decision making can be a powerful
  tool in changing student outcomes, classroom
  practices, professional development,
  administrative spending, community support,
  student enrollment and budget adjustments .

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About CoSN www.cosn.org

• GOALS
• Leadership Development supporting school leaders
  to ensure technology has a positive effect on
  learning
• Advocacy creating an effective voice on
  education technology issues
• Coalition Building building partnerships and
  collaborative efforts around the use of
  technology in schools
• Emerging Technology exploring meaningful uses
  for new technologies in education

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CoSN

• LEADERSHIP INITIATIVES
• Taking TCO to the Classroom, a resource for
  schools on budgeting for technology
  www.classroomtco.org
• Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse, a tool to
  help school leaders understand the issues
  involved in managing Internet content
  www.safewiredschools.org
• CoSN CTO Council, a forum for district-level
  technology directors to discuss issues important
  to them

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CoSN

• Visit our website for updates about CoSN
  programs, activities and information
  sources www.cosn.org
• Keith Krueger keith_at_cosn.org
• Irene Spero irene_at_cosn.org