Data Tools for Schoo

Improvement
These strategies will help schools select an appropriate and effective data system.
Victoria L. Bernhardt

magine starting the school year Imagine how much smarter educa- spring up every day. Some
with historical data about each tors could work with the help of data companies focus on
student in your class—even a tools. student information and
student just assigned to your class data warehousing products;
that morning. The data could Which Tools Do Schools Need? others specialize in instruc-
include the student s achievement test If a school wants to improve student tional management. Although
results, infomiation about what stan- learning, it has to use data. Using data some companies claim to
dards he or she has mastered, the effectively requires data tools—particu- tlo it all, few truly do.
student's teachers in previous grades, larly student information systems, data As school districts take
absences, discipline referrals, and warehouses, and instnictit)nal manage- steps to acquire and effec-
more—all easily accessible electroni- tively use data tools for
cally. school improvement, it is
Imagine a diagnostic testing process interesting to watch their
tiiat automatically records what each of typical buying patterns.
Without data tools.
your students already knows or still Most school districts first
needs to master to meet all district and our vision of data-smart purchase a student informa
state learning .standards by the end of tion system. The product a
the year. This process would not only schools is merely a dream. schoo! buys next often
suggest lessons to assist the students depends on who is on the
with their learning needs as a whole, committee to investigate
but it would also indicate which data tools. Teachers will
students need additit)nal, individualized ment systems. Such tools are necessary always want instructional
support. to get student data into teachers' hands management sy.stems first;
At the school and district levels, when they need it. without their having data gurus and some admin-
imagine knowing the impact of a partic- to wait for the district's data guru to istrators often want the
ular school's efforts on behalf of provide an analysis. Without data tools, data warehouse manage-
students. Imagine knowing where and our vision of data-smart schools is ment system first. Next.
how you need to strengthen a school s merely a dream. schools generally buy
instnictional systems, provide new Excellent tools to keep track of data either a data warehouse or
programs, add new or different profes- and to ensure that all students meet an instnictional manage-
sional development activities, offer learning standards are available now; ment system, and finally they go back
technical assistance, or allocate the hard part is figuring out what you and buy whichever of these systems
resources to achieve the mission of the want data tools to do, wliich tools do they did not buy in the first place. It is
school and district. Imagine being able what you want, and which tools you pretty inevitable that .school districts
to electronically report data required by need first. These choices can get will want all three types of data tools
state and federal agencies at the touch confusing. Technology companies eventually.
of a key. claiming they are devoted to education Let s look at these three different

66 EDIICAT[ONAI. LEADERSITIP/PHBRUARY Z
 of data products to improve
student learning to understand what The hard part in selecting data tools is figuring out what
these products do and w hat to Uwk for
when purchasing each of them. you want the tools to do, which tools do what you want,
Studeut Information Systems and which tools you need first.
Student inlbmiation systems are
databases that mainly liouse demo-
graphic data collected throughout the entered the information into a database layout of student desks) on the
school day. Many student infomiation or spreadsheet. The data were used to computer screen. The teacher clicks on
systems are networked and automate figure out the school s average daih' each student name or desk to take atten-
the repetitive collection of such data as attendance but were seldom used for dance, and the system enters into the
database the name of the student and
the class period for which attendance is
being recorded. Teachers and adminis-
trators can see trends in absences by
student; by school or district; and by
time of day. da\' of the week, or day of
the month. A well-designed .student
information system enables school
personnel to study important measures
of student engagement, stich as atten-
dance, discipline, and suspensions, and
to fully anal)'ze problems before
attempting a solution.
For example, one year, Eastern
Elementary School's' discipline referrals
tallied in at twice the number of the
previous year s, and the principal was
about to establish a firmer discipline
polic)'. Eastern s assistant principal
suggested that they more closely review
the numbers on discipline referrals in
their student infomiation system. This
closer l<M>k revealed that a large propor-
tion of tlie referrals were for the same
group of boys being reprimanded on
the pla>groimd only on Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday mornings—and
always by the same part-time super-
\ isor. liiis close analysis of the data
revealed that a new schoolwide disci-
pline program would not be an appro
priate solution.
class attendance, tardiness, discipline unuhing else.
referrals, and enrollments. Now studenl information systems When buying a student information
Before the advent of networked electronicalh link classrooms to the system, make sure you are clear on how
student information systems, teachers overall school database for instant many years of data the system will hold
used paper and pencil to tally student updating, practically taking class roll on and what the system does with data at
absences. They sent the paper to the their own. Some systems show the class ihe end of each year. Some systems
office secretaf}', who at .some pcjint lists in alphabetical order (or a graphic automatically erase the previous year's

ASSOCIATION FOR SUPERVISION AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT 67

data as the new year's data arc entered. need further clarification. The instruc-
Many districts that assumed their infor- tional managenienl system suggests
mation system was storing years of lessons for covering material that most
student demographic information were students answered incorrectly on test
surprised to Fmd only the current year's questions. It also links to education Web
data available when they tried to access sites for tnaterial that a smaller group of
information from past years. students failed to master. Teachers can
assess students as many times as they
Data Warehouses wish throughcjut the year.
Data warehouses enable school districts
to analy"ze data across different databases, Tips for Enlightened Buying
such as student information systems, Selecting the right data t(K)is requires
databases of test results and school planning and research. Many school
programs, and databases of information districts hope to discover one company
about students' and teachers' percep- that will provide a sttident infomiation
tions. Schools use data warehouses to Do not be timid about system, a data warehou.se. and an
perform such statistical procedures as instmctional management system all in
analyzing longitudinal data, disaggre- asking to see data one. Few companies, if any. ofifer all
gating data, and following cohorts of three, although some student informa-
students over time. Data warehouses are tools at work. tion s) stems offer a partial instructional
wonderful for following student.s' management system, and some data
education histories backward. For warehouse companies partner with
example, administrators can identify all instmctional management compames to
the students who dropped out of a teaching strategies that would be more include these capabilities with their
particular high school in a given year successful with boys. product. School personnel can become
and then compare factors in these fnistrdted as they seek tools with which
youths' education histories for all Instructiotuit Management Systems all three components work together.
previous years, noting any common Instructional man;igement systems help Here are some suggestions for
characteristics. Such information could analyze .student performance on selecting effective data tools.
be invaluable in lowering a school's ongomg assessments and reveai how He clear about what you are tooking
dropout rate. closely student leaming matches the for. Inevitably, as you begin to shop for
With a data warehouse, schools can content a teacher has presented in class. one kind of data tool, vendors will talk
analyze the impact of instructional Such systems about the other two as well. Be clear
programs and processes on students. • Provide standards-based lesson about what tools you re interested in
For example, Evergreen School District plans and resources to help students purchasing when you start Icx)king. Do
used its data warehouse to break down and teachers raise test ,scores; you want an in.structional management
and analyze student achievement restilts • Help teachers align classroom .system, a student infomiation system, a
by demographics, by instructional curriculum to content standards: and data warehouse—or all three? Do you
methods, and by preferred student • Help teachers align curriculum w;uit to buy them all at once or one at a
leaming styles. Using this tool. Ever- between grades. time? Don t fcel as though you have to
green teachers could quickly see that For example, teachers in Westem buy all pieces from the same company,
their students from low-income back- Sch(M)l District use an instructional A ci>llaborative vendor should help you
grounds learned more effectively when management system to create their own secure pannerships with other vendors.
teachers presented content in an active pre-assessmcnt from a huge selection of If your school district cannot alford all
format. Teachers could also see Ihat test items that arc similar to those found three systems, do not be afraid to talk
high school girls in the district were on their state standardized assessment. with the vendors about your dilemma.
enrolled in more advanced placement Teachers get the results soon after all Tliey may be able to adjust prices or
classes and were getting significantly students take the pre assessment online propose cost-saving strategies, such as
higher GPAs than were high school so they can quickly see which standards collaborating with other districts in your
boys. In-depth analysis might indicate students know and which standards area to share a ser\er. which would

68 E D L C A T I O N A L LEADERSHtP/FEBRUARV 2IH)S
decrease the pcr-pupil cost (if to know that they will
a data system. One data tool do what you need in your
company might also join
Data Tools Defined environment.
forces with another companv A database is a system of organized information that is Don! automatically go to
you are considering bii) ing easily retrievable—preferably electronically. Telephone books the lowest bidder. Sta)' aware
from to offer your district and dictionaries are common databases that are organized of what you need a data tool
incentives to buy botii prod- alphabetically to make information easy to find. to do. If a company with a
ucts. less desirable prtKluct offers a
Student information systems are databases that elec-
Be sure the tools can talk lower price, go back to the
tronically collect and organize data concerning characteristics
ir/'/h <i}te inuftber. The company you really want to
of the student population and school processes. Such a
Schools Intert>perabilit\' work witli and talk with
system makes it easy to collect and consolidate data about
Framework (SIF) is a coUabt> them. Often a reduced price
many factors, such as student attendance; discipline referrals;
ration of school data stake- also reflects a reduced
number of students of a certain gender, ethnicity, or family
holders that sets data product that will entail other
income; student course assignments and schedules; and
exchange standards to costs later on.
specialized school programs.
enable software packages to Talk with current users.
communicate w ith one Educational data warehouses allow the manipulation Ask lots of questions, not only
another. SIF-compliant data and integration of multiple databases connected to one about the products, but also
tools (which should have this another through individual student and teacher identification about the people with whom
term on the label) interact as numbers, and through class schedules that link students to you will be working. Will
one system; data that are teachers. An excellent educational data warehouse will link these vendors follow through
entered into one of the data together student demographic and grading data from your with their promises and be
tools will be entered into the student information system to standardized student test there to support you through
other tools automatically. scores that might come from a testing company and to all parts of ihe pn)cess?
For example, with a SiF- program data in a separate database. One could access these
Data can make the differ-
compliant student informa- different types of data for an individual student without
ence in improving student
tion system, data warehouse. needing to reenter the basic student information each time.
learning. With effective data
and instructional manage- Data warehouses allow longitudinal and comprehensive data
t<K)ls, teachers and adminis-
ment s\steni. a student s analyses with multiple variables from multiple sources.
trators can pinpoint which
name and identification students are meeting—or
Instructional management systems help teachers align
number would onl)' have to falling short of—learning
lessons to standardized learning objectives, provide instruc-
be entered once. The name objectives, and what strate-
tional resources and assessments, and measure student
and itientification number gies will help each learner
performance on learning objectives.
would automatically be succeed. Educators need
entered in all the other tools that get data directly
s}'stems. (Visit www.sifinfo into their hands and ease the process of
needed. Many extra hours were spent
.or^ for more detailed infomiation on inteq:)reting data. The strategies
customizing the data warehouse, and it
SIF compliance.) outlined here should speed schools
was still so cumbersome that the
Inroire a team with hroinl district eveiiliially replaced this tool. toward tliat goal. [3
membership in the process. Include Another district had administrators
teachers, administnitors. and informa- purchase an electronic "lesson plan- 'All names of schools and districts are
tion management personnel. Be sure ning tool" without consulting teachers. pseud<}nyiiis.
the people who will use the particular That tool was never used.
product most are represented. One Victoria L. Bernhardt directs the Educa-
Research fuissihle retulors—anti
tion for the Future Initiative and consults
district made the mistake of buying a have Ihein coine lo you. Look into with schools and school districts on
data warehouse preferred by the potential vendors' stability and financial effective use of data; 530-898-4482;
teacliers on the bu\ing committee, status. Invite them to meet with you at [email protected]. Her most
who were tlie majority. 1 hf district's your school. Do not be timid about recent books are the Using Data to
data analysis person was left with a asking to see data tools at work. Such Improve Student Learning series (Eye on
product that did not do what she tools aa* a big investment, and you Education, 2003-2005).

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