For Colorado school leaders, data drives many of our decisions, both district-wide and on an individual student level. Generating real-time insights right when we need them, however, can be a lesson in frustration, stalling our efforts and our students’ progress.
With a patchwork system of multiple data solutions, many schools are data-rich but lack the capacity to turn information into action. Administrators spend so much time jumping from platform to platform that it becomes almost impossible to be responsive to the data we collect.
To ensure educators and administrators make the most confident decisions regarding student progress, resource allocation, and program efficacy, the best thing districts can do moving forward is implement a centralized data management platform that does the collection, analysis, and storytelling for us. That work starts by vetting and selecting not just a Data-as-a-Service provider, but a true partner in ensuring student success.
The three-step approach to landing on the best solution
At the Delta County Joint School District, where I serve as the director of curriculum and instruction, data and assessment is a one-person department. Collecting data from several sources, analyzing the information, communicating it to staff, and ensuring it was actually used when making curriculum and instructional decisions left me feeling overwhelmed. I was drowning in data and lacked the time and capability to pull myself out.
By prioritizing the cost savings of a centralized data hub, I was able to gain buy-in from school leaders and board members to embark on a journey to find a one-stop-shop solution. And once teachers learned they could spend less time reporting and more time engaging students, they were excited to jump right on board as well.
Example with Mock Data: Attendance Early Warning System
Narrowing down vendors came down to three pivotal purchasing points.
Look past the big promises.
Throughout the procurement process, sales teams promised us the world, but when we pushed them on specifics, we often received a brush-off. “That’s not in our plan, but we can think about that down the line once you sign” became the go-to response from many of our prospects.
I recommend that any districts pursuing different providers talk with all stakeholders, including teachers, staff, and administrators, to understand their varying pain points and turn them into a comprehensive, front-end Q&A for vendors. Throw some big ideas at them, such as real-time data visualization, predictive analytics, and personalized learning, and see how scalable their solutions actually are. Just important, be sure providers are asking the right questions of you to determine if they understand your specific variables of student progress, how your district gauges success, and the connection between experience and outcomes.
Assess their data integration capabilities.
Delta County gathered data from multiple edtech platforms as well as student information and school management systems across the different grades. From a financial and efficiency aspect, we couldn’t just rip out the solutions that were working and replace them with a new suite of tools. We required a centralized solution that could seamlessly pull together siloed information as well as synthesize and visualize the data points for us, painting a complete picture of each student. When vetting providers, we searched for someone who could clearly demonstrate their data integration infrastructure process as well as provide a dashboard system that articulated the specific answers our district needed. In addition, the right solution would allow us to consolidate multiple software licenses in into a single platform to streamline operations and reduce costs.
Find a partner who embraces flexibility.
Every district uses data a little bit differently, so a one-size-fits-all solution isn’t well-suited for your schools’ specific needs. Data intelligence should be limited only by your imagination, not by a platform that obstructs your view of your students’ progress.
We chose our data partner based on the fact that they actually listened to us rather than tell us what we need. They continually to be completely open to our feedback and evolve their solutions to put our ideas into play. For instance, Delta County used a giant progress monitoring document that our teachers spent time updating every single week. It was cumbersome, time-consuming, and complicated; worse, administrators didn’t regularly review the data. After voicing our frustration to our provider, they turned around a live, color-coded dashboard that offered a real-time glimpse into how our interventions were working.
Administrators and educators spend so much time mining and collecting data that it takes our focus away from what’s most important – improving outcomes for each and every student. However, pulling in the right partner, one who is adaptive, agile, and responsive, can be a game-changer, relieving the burden of data overload and empowering you to focus on what truly matters. As with any meaningful relationship, cultivating a genuine connection requires hard work, but once that bond is built, your data insights transform into action, and you watch your students thrive, you know you’ve found the perfect match for your district.
Jennifer Magner is currently the Director of Instructional Services at Delta County School District in Delta, Colorado.
