How K–12 School Districts Can Create a Data-Driven Culture
Frank conversations and transparency about results are necessary to data-driven instruction, but they can be uncomfortable, educators say.
“A key part of being a data-driven culture is you have to be able to stomach the idea that you’re not as good as you think you are or as other people think you are,” Bezanson says.
At SUSD, that’s one reason the principals emphasize trust and a shared vision among colleagues. “It’s not a ‘gotcha,’” Mann says. “We all need to succeed together.”
She recommends that leaders celebrate successes, no matter how minor, and start small to build buy-in.
“When teachers see how students are learning, design interventions based on the data and see the growth, that’s what hooks them,” says Carin Fractor, principal of SUSD’s Bridgeport Elementary School. “That’s when the excitement comes.”
At SUSD, assessments and analysis happen throughout the school year. “We don’t spend a lot of time looking at end-of-year data,” Fractor says. “That’s an autopsy. The data that is the closest and the most recent is what we want to spend our time analyzing.”
Finally, data-driven education must be a priority, says Michelle Velikorodnyy, principal of SUSD’s Charles Helmers Elementary School, even if that means other projects take a back seat.
“It has to be very intentional,” she says. “Otherwise, it won’t happen.”
READ MORE: Learn how school leaders can make informed decisions with data.
The Right Tools for Data-Driven Decision-Making in K–12 Education
Data literacy is also essential, yet it’s an area where many teachers struggle, according to research from the Data Quality Campaign.
Its 2019 poll of teachers found that only 17 percent had learned to use data during their preservice training, and 45 percent reported teaching themselves about data on the job. Even so, the majority of teachers (86 percent) said data was important to their effectiveness.
Automated tools can shorten the learning curve and create more time for analyzing student data. “It is nice to have a data management system so you’re not bogged down in collating and disaggregating data by hand,” Mann says.
One such tool, Lightspeed Systems’ Relay platform, gives schools a dashboard view into the use of digital content — applications, software and online resources — and supports filtering, management and monitoring. It also helps districts identify the most effective resources, particularly as they seek to address dropout and graduation rates.
“The insight you get from software that’s telling you who is using what can help you make better professional development decisions around that curriculum,” says Lightspeed President and CEO Brian Thomas. “That drives better adoption of those tools, so you can bridge that gap between who is successful and who isn’t.”