Data Dashboards and Key
Performance Indicators
Presented by: Melissa Wright, M.A.
Assistant Director, Baseline
www.campuslabs.com/blog
@CampusLabsCo #labgab
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September 21, 2012
What are key
performance indicators?
performance indicator
metrics
dashboard
balanced scorecard
report card
success factors
Based in business
• Balanced Scorecard – grounded in
strategic initiatives
• Communicates priorities to constituents
(internally & externally)
• Four perspectives
o
o
o
o
Financial/resource allocation
Customer/operational & program outcomes
Internal Business Process/key stats
Learning and Growth/learning outcomes
Steps to implementation
Articulate
Operationalize
Create
Share
Steps to implementation
Articulate
Operationalize
Create
Share
Starting points
• Existing KPIs on your
campus
• Mission and vision
• Strategic plan
• Learning outcomes
frameworks (e.g., CAS,
AAC&U)
• Numbers you are already
using
• Questions you are
already asking
Example performance indicators
 Graduation Rate
 GPAs
 Retention Rates
 Annual Giving
 Satisfaction
 Campus Climate
 Student Awareness
 Campus Safety
 Student Participation
 Class Size
 Outcome Measures
 Student Engagement
 Number of courses
 Credit Hour Production
 Contact Hour
 Housing Occupancy
Rates
 Student Conduct
Incidents
 Student: Faculty Ratio
 Programs Offered
 Service Hours
Direction of KPI development
University
Division
Department
Program
Institutional Dashboards
Institutional Dashboard Examples:
- Mean SAT score
- Research Funding
- 4 or 6 year Graduation Rate
- Doctorates Awarded
- Undergraduate Enrollment
- Graduate Enrollment
- Alumni Giving
- Financial Aid Awarded
- Scholarships Awarded
Divisional Dashboards
• Provide information on the direction of the
organization
• May not be directly actionable for departments
• Primarily shared “up” or “out”
• Examples:
–
–
–
–
Overall student satisfaction
Retention rates
Annual giving
Participation rates
Divisional Dashboard example
Division of Enrollment
Management and Student
Development:
- % overall student satisfaction
rates (by semester)
- % student engagement rates
(by level of connectedness)
- % student involvement rates
(by semester)
- Learning outcome domain
rates (by type of learning
environment)
- % student development rates
(by subject area)
Divisional Dashboard example
Division of Academic Affairs:
- Align with academic strategic plan
- Use NSSE measures for student engagement as
a structure for goals:
–
–
–
–
–
level of academic challenge
active and collaborative learning
student-faculty interaction
enriching educational experiences
supportive campus environment
- Example: Buffalo State’s score for the “active and
collaborative learning” NSSE benchmark area will
rise from 49.7 to at least 55.4, or to a score that
earns Buffalo State a place in the upper 50 percent
of NSSE institutions.
Department Dashboard
• Focus on the aspects of the department that
are critical
• Measured frequently and more actionable
• Measures are understood by staff members
• Have significant and positive impact on daily
operations
• Examples:
– Knowledge of policies/procedures
– Perceptions
– Outcome measures
Departmental dashboard example
Parent Program:
- # contact via email (by year)
- # Parent Council Membership
(by year and class)
- % in-state vs. out-of-state
residence
- % satisfied with email contact
- % satisfied with accessibility of
Parent Liaison
- % parents who considered
themselves “involved”
Goals and targets
In order to indicate progress or success, a goal or target is
needed
o External (e.g., determined by board of trustees)
o Internal (e.g., director determined goals for department)
o Objectively stated (e.g., retention goal of 89%)
o Subjectively stated (e.g., learning outcome mean of 4)
Considerations
Is the development of KPIs internally driven or externally required?
Who will be USING the KPIs?
With whom will you be SHARING the KPIs?
Are others on your campus also developing KPIs?
Is there an existing committee that can lead the KPI development
process?
Keep it simple
At core, the performance
indicator is simple and
informative.
KEY is the important word
Steps to implementation
Articulate
Operationalize
Create
Share
Data collection methods
Keep in mind:
KPIs are
quantitative/numbers
and can come from:
•
•
•
•
Campus or student record
systems
Tracking
Surveys
Rubrics
Data collection: Existing campus
systems
Data collection: Tracking
• Student attendance
• Number of programs
• Student organization
involvement
• Student use of
departmental services
• Community service
hours
Data collection: surveys
Data collection: Rubrics
Single Source
Multiple Sources
80%
satisfaction
80%
satisfaction
70%
satisfaction
90%
satisfaction
80%
satisfaction
Single question on a single survey
Single question on multiple surveys
Multiple questions on single/multiple
surveys
Ways to represent data
Count
Percentage
Mean
Use terms consistently
Create data audits
and/or data
dictionaries
Define terms:
–
–
–
“Student”
Class year
Terms/time periods
Effect on the assessment process
• Incorporate KPI into planning or project proposals
• Develop a standard set of scales and question
formats
• Consider response rate requirements for inclusion
in KPIs
• Create a data dictionary
Steps to implementation
Articulate
Operationalize
Create
Share
How Campus Labs Can Help
•
•
Collect event attendance and participation numbers
Track exposure to outcome to link to learning/growth
based performance indicators
•
Embed performance indicators within your planning
and reporting process
Show concrete metrics that track improvement
towards your larger goals and outcomes
•
•
•
•
Collect survey and rubric data for performance
indicators
Create a variety of performance indicators
Work with your assessment consultant to identify
best practices for your institution or division
QUESTIONS?
Melissa Wright, M.A.
Assistant Director
Campus Labs Team
mwright@campuslabs.com
716.270.0000