Data & Privacy – Investigating

(0-39%)

Element: Data and Data Systems

Description: To facilitate data-driven decision making, appropriate data (i.e., data dashboards and data analytics) are readily available, easily comprehensible, and useful for supporting the decision making processes. The data are available at any time, on any desktop, and from any location, made available through real-time access to data dashboards, data analytics, and data warehouses.

Possible Next Step: District leaders investigate new models for storing and accessing data, including systems for learning management, online assessment, student information, and longitudinal data.

Element: Data Policies, Procedures, and Practices

Description: Using the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as the basis, the district has up-to-date policies, procedures, and practices that address legal, ethical, and safety issues related to the privacy and security of data, and the usage of data, technology, and the Internet. Such policies, procedures and practices address the collection, storage, analysis, reporting, transmission, and archiving of data, as well as the usage of data, the Internet, and technology by students and education professionals in the course of teaching, learning, communications, and the management of school services.

Possible Next Step: District leaders investigate federal, state, and local laws on privacy and security of data in education systems. They also review policies and procedures on safety, security, and privacy in other districts.

Element: Data-Informed Decision Making

Description: The use of formative and summative assessment data is part of the school culture, with administrators, teachers, and, perhaps most importantly, students actively using this data to improve learning. Assessment is not viewed as punitive, but rather as part of the teaching and learning process. There is an expectation in the district that data will inform all teaching and learning practices and decisions. This is modeled at all levels of the school system, from administration to the students themselves.

Possible Next Step: District leaders investigate what it means for decision making to be data-informed. In doing so, they document various models of evidence-based reasoning and data-driven decision making as well as learning management systems that support those processes. District leaders listen to other district leaders report on their work in building towards data cultures and identify models where students are engaged in a culture of evidence-based reasoning.

Element: Data Literate Education Professionals

Description: Educators in the system are data-literate. They are aware of the legal and ethical responsibility to ensure security, accuracy, and privacy in the collection, analysis, exchange of, and reporting of data. They understand the potential uses and misuses of data in the teaching and learning process and act accordingly. All education professionals in the district use data to inform instructional and administrative decision making. Data literacy extends to students as well as curricula are reviewed and updated to make effective use of evidence and data a priority for all.

Possible Next Step: District leaders investigate evidence-based reasoning and data-driven decision making, focusing on the types of training and professional development all staff members will need to use sophisticated data systems effectively.