The Future of Education: Creating a
Culture of Data-Based Decision Making
Dr. Cory J. Steiner
Data Steward
NDASA Round Table—Midwinter Conference
State of North Dakota
Objectives
 By the end of this presentation, participants will:
1. Understand the role leadership plays for utilizing data in educational organizations
 Understand the four frames of ‘reframing organizations’ and roles the frames
play in leadership
 Understand importance of creating a culture of quality data
 Identify roles needed to build a culture of quality data
2. Understand the State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) past, present, and future
3. Understand job responsibilities of Data Steward
4. Understand practical use of the School Profile, Assessment Inventory, ACT Student
Detail, NDSA Growth Model Roster, and NDSA Assessment Trend, Student
Directory reports, and Developmental Courses by Subject Area, and District
Developmental Courses
Purpose
 The focus must be on moving from good to great
 Get a little better every day
 `If you keep doing what you have been doing, you will keep getting
what you have been getting
 Stockdale Paradox
 ‘Retain faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of the
difficulties and at the same time confront the most brutal facts
of your current reality whatever they might be’
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and
Others Don't (Collins, 2001)
Talking Point #1: Job Responsibilities
A Data What? A Data Steward…
 Provide data administration for ND K-12 State Longitudinal Data




System (SLDS)
 Facilitate ‘cleaning’ of data (i.e.—garbage in, garbage out)
Provide professional development for teachers and administrators
 Present to future teachers and administrators
 Develop security course
 Develop ethics course
 Develop assessment workshop
Develop, lead and support services for K-12 Registrars
 Major initiative and development of training program
Participate in strategic planning for the K-12 SLDS
 Utilize a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis (SWOT)
Maintain a high level of professional competency
 Communication is key
Talking Point #2: Building a Culture
with Quality Leadership
Get Two
 Who are the leaders in your organization?
 What is one thing an educational leader can
do that (if done well) will make a difference
in an organization?
Roles for Leaders in the ‘Data’ Movement
Administrators
Teachers
 1.
 1.
 2.
 2.
 3.
 3.
 4.
 4
 5.
 5.
How Do You Shift Your Culture?
 Create A Sense of Urgency
 Any successful change starts with urgency
 Complacency is common throughout organizations
o ‘We are much too complacent…and we don’t even know it’
o Don’t mistake busy for non-complacent
 Change is not coming…
 It is here
 We must pay attention to change, but do not put it on a pedestal
 Focus must shift from change to the idea of continuous improvement
o Before this can happen, correction must take place
 Bottom Line is…
 We are paying insufficient attention to key opportunities
 SLDS is the opportunity to reframe your organization
Reframing Organizations
 Four frames of reference in decision-making (for all
positions in education):
Human resources (people within organization)
2. Symbolic (culture)
3. Structural (procedures & policies)
4. Political (public)
1.
 Every decision you make in your organization has an element
from each frame (i.e.—Changing your lunch schedule, school
calendar, etc.).
 Every decision has an affect on your culture
Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and
Leadership (Bolman & Deal, 2003)
Data-Driven Culture—A Model
 All student achievement decisions are based on data and not on adult preferences
 All instructional staff are involved in decisions
 All instructional staff members are involved in collaborative teams (PLC’s) that
analyze state, district, school and classroom assessment data to:
Plan instruction
Set curricular priorities (strong link with common core)
Develop action plans (with smart goals)
Work towards achieving adequate yearly progress
Engage in program evaluation
On-going support and professional development is provided to refine skills in using data to
make decisions that affect students and programs
 Value quality data
 Value a careful and ethical approach to using and sharing data
 Must create a culture that values self-reflection






Data Quality
 ‘Data pays us and grades us’ (NCES)
 Organizations/schools that value quality data engage in the
following behaviors:
 Challenge stereotypes that are linked to data
 Don’t rush to judgment
 Don’t abuse the ‘Y’ axis
 Don’t use data to punish or create anxiety
 Don’t share identifiable information (FERPA)
Remember: Rushing to Judgment Has Legal
Ramifications
Personally Identifiable Information: Other information
that alone, or in combination is linked or linkable to a
specific student that would allow a person in the
school community to identify the student with
reasonable certainty
Something to Keep in Mind
North Dakota’s general rule is:
A group’s data, whose size is less than 10,
can not be publicly displayed.
Truth, Lies & Data Quality
 A school created a website mistakenly telling 76 students they had




been accepted into the school when in fact they had not been.
The US Government mistakenly sent Christmas ornaments to
1,150 deceased marines and sailors with a flyer about an athletic
reconditioning program.
Some students were able to obtain administrative password to the
system and logged in and cleared absences /tardies for a fee.
A stolen laptop that contained command codes used to control the
international space station was not encrypted.
A high school in Las Vegas was ranked 13th among U.S. News and
World Report based upon their student teacher ratio of 4 to 1 and
a 100% pass rate on AP exams.
Talking Point #3: The State
Longitudinal Data System
State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS)
What is a Data Warehouse?
Logical and strategic ordering and storage of data in
central area
System consists of a statewide data warehouse that
allows program evaluation over single or multiple years
Integrates data from several state agencies
SLDS Grantee States
North Dakota Statewide Longitudinal
Data System (SLDS)
 SLDS is a cooperative project between:
 Information Technology Department (ITD)
 Department of Public Instruction(DPI)
 North Dakota University System (NDUS)
 Department of Commerce
 Department of Career and Technical Education
 Job Service of North Dakota
 Education Technology Council (ETC)
 Department of Health
 Department of Human Services
 Elements for education (K-12 and higher education), training, and employment
programs
 For K-12, provides data for:
 Program evaluation
 Student evaluation
 Student programming (next day availability)
Goals of Statewide Longitudinal Data
Systems
 Evaluate teacher programs to improve instruction
 Know if graduates have skills to succeed in postsecondary
and/or workforce
 Simplify local, state, and federal reporting
 Support data-driven decision-making for all educators
http://nces.ed.gov/Programs/SLDS
Tool for Analyzing Data
How are we doing?
1. Compared to Self
Grade level, Sub Groups, Trends
2. Compared to Others
National, State, Similar Schools
3. Compared to Absolutes
Standards, Cut Scores, Scale Scores, Readiness
Michael Fullan
In-Depth Analysis
Creating Information and Avoiding DRIP,
(Data Rich Information Poor)
1. Drill Down
2. Go Visual
3. Export
Elements of Longitudinal Data Systems
1.
Student Enrollment Information
8.
Data on Student Transition and
Success in College
2.
Information on Graduates, Transfers,
Dropouts
9.
Data on Preparation for Success in
Postsecondary Education
10.
An Audit System to Ensure Data
Quality
11.
Ability to Share Data from Preschool
Through College
12.
Unique Student Identifiers
3.
State Assessment Scores
4.
Information on Students Not Tested
5.
College-Readiness Test Scores
6.
A Teacher Identifier System
7.
Student Transcript Information
http://nces.ed.gov/Programs/SLDS
ND SLDS in Stages
 Completed (infant)
 Provided data to the Regional Education Associations (REAs) for Hess Grant
 Produced matches to Workforce data for Adult Ed and CTE to create federal
reports
 Modified Vital Statistics system to include birth records in the SLDS
 In Progress (adolescent)
 Expanding master person index (Active Directory Project)
 Gathering requirements for postsecondary data in the SLDS
 Developing data pump for Vital Statistics data
 Assigning state student IDs at birth
 Future (adult)
 Review portal products, potential vendor offerings, and the best direction for
ND
 Gather new report requirements and expand SLDS to gather relevant data
 Plan work necessary to fulfill postsecondary grant
Phases…Now and in the Future
 Training
 Phase 1 is ongoing
 Introduce SLDS and basic features to administrative assistants, administrators,
coordinators, and directors throughout the state
 288 participants
o Will be doing another round of initial training
 Phase 2 is beginning
 How to use SLDS to impact student achievement (‘drill down’ to student level)
 ‘SEED’ project with individual schools from each REA (Grafton, Maddock,
and Kulm)
Talking Point #4: What Really Matters
SLDS: An Avenue for Self-Reflection
 ‘Use data for good and not evil’
 Data Set #1
 School A
Scored 3 points more per game than previous year
 School B
 Scored 20 points more per game than previous year

 Discussion Question—Get Two
 What can you say about this set of data?
 Data Set #2
 School A
Scored 70 points per game in previous year
 School B
 Scored 38 points per game in previous year

 Discussion Question—Get Two
•
What can you say about this set of data?
 Discussion Question—Get Two
•
What other data do you need to say?
Questions Districts Must Ask…And Be Able
to Answer…SLDS Provides Answers
Attendance
 What is the percentage of overall
attendance?
 What groups have the lowest
Academics

What groups show growth?

Where is their a gap in achievement?

Who is meeting their growth targets
and goals?

What are the characteristics of groups
above, at, or below grade level?

What progress monitoring is taking
place?
attendance rate?
SLDS: A Practical Approach to Training
 Lead to root cause analysis
 Reduce the problem and not just symptom
 Reduce wasted efforts and resources
 Encourage critical conversations and self-reflection
 Reinforce rationale for decisions
Root Cause Analysis: School Leader's Guide to
Using Data to Dissolve Problems (Preuss, 2003)
The Five Whys
 Simple problem-solving and identification
 Ask the question ‘why’ five times
 Dig ‘deeper’ to find a cause
 Example: ‘We have too many students tardy to class’
 Why do we have so many tardies
 ‘Students are saying they don’t have time to get to their next class’
 Why don’t students have time to get from one class to another?
 ‘Students are saying that four minutes is not enough time to get around’
 Why is the passing time only four minutes?
 ‘We wanted to reduce the amount of time students were in the halls’
 Why did we want to reduce time students were in the halls?
 ‘We were having a lot of issues with student behavior and discipline’
 Why did we want to reduce disciplinary problems?
 ‘It was taking us away from our classes and taking students out of our classes’
Talking Point #5: Key Reports
Five Key Reports
School Profile Report
 Purpose: Provides an overview of enrollment,
attendance, and NDSA results.
Assessment Inventory Report
 Purpose: List all assessments that are currently
available in SLDS.
School Assessment Summary Report
 Purpose: Provides summary information selectable
by assessment and subject area (NDSA, ACT, MAP,
AimsWeb). Drills to school assessment details by
assessment subject to allow for filtering on program
and student demographics.
NDSA Growth Model Roster Report
 Purpose: Provides an overview of individual
students in comparison to meeting their growth
index
NDSA Growth Model Roster Report:
So What, Now What
 ‘Goal setting is the single most powerful motivation tool in a
leader’s toolkit’ (Blanchard)
 Allows you to set SMART goals with students
NDSA Trend Report
 Purpose: Provides NDSA trend data for a school.
Student Directory Report
 Purpose: Displays student proficiency details
selectable by school year, grade, school, proficiency
level, and student demographics
Student Dashboard
 Will be able to ‘designate’ students as at-risk
 Will do so by:
 Attendance
 Assessment Scores
 Course Grades
 10% or more drop in average
 Grades below a ‘C’ level
 Courses repeating
 Failing courses
The Student Dashboard
Test Student
ID# 16422222228
Twelfth Grade
Student Information
Academic Dashboard
Transcript

Test Student
111 South Park
St Johns ND 58522
Home Phone
701-222-0225
School Information
Central High School
Demographics
701-322-4523
Date of Birth
December 18, 1993
Grade Level
12
Age
18
School Year
2012
Gender
Male
Homeroom
Olsen, Jennifer
Race
(W) White
Late Enrollment
No
Date of Entry
August 23, 2012
Date of Withdrawal
Other Student Information
At Risk
Free Reduced Lunch
Limited English Proficiency
Disabilities
Repeater (1 or more grades in last 3 years)
Migrant
Student infomration was last updated on October 23, 2012
New and Improved Student Dashboard
Student Directory: So What, Now What
 Course Grades:
 In workshop, review incoming student’s previous data
 Design seating chart around this data
 Provide ‘TLC’ for at-risk students
 Assessment Results
 Review assessment results with students (individually) in your
class; set goals for future standardized assessments
Developmental Courses By Subject
Area
 Purpose: A districts postsecondary enrollment in
Developmental Courses, broken out by course
subject. Shows totals for high school graduating
classes who are enrolled at an NDUS campus.
District Developmental Courses
 Purpose: A districts postsecondary enrollment in
Developmental Courses. Shows totals for high
school graduating classes who are enrolled at an
NDUS campus.
Talking Point #6: Odds n’ Ends
Odds n’ Ends
 Permissions
 REA
 Administrator (district)
 Teacher (school)
 Data Share Agreements
 Needed for:
 NWEA
 DIBELS
 AimsWeb
 mClass
Things to Know
 Student Mismatched Information
 Vertical Reporting
 Transportation
 Pictures on SLDS
 Aligning attendance codes
 Support Questions
 Section on website
 E-mail me with questions
Final Thoughts
 Have a genuine appreciation for the effort and commitment that
everyone makes because together, we shall succeed.
 Casey Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach
Questions??
Dr. Cory J Steiner
E-mail: costeiner@nd.gov
Twitter: @nddatasteward
Blog: http://blogs.edutech.nodak.edu/corysteiner/
Phone: 701-893-5087