Creating a Culture of Data:
Focus on People
Elizabeth Dabney, Senior Associate
@EdDataCampaign
September 16, 2013
#EdData
What is the Data Quality Campaign?
» A nonprofit, nonpartisan, national advocacy organization
based in Washington, DC
» Launched in 2005
» Committed to realizing the vision of an education system in
which all stakeholders—from parents to policymakers—are
empowered with high-quality data from the early childhood,
K–12, postsecondary, and workforce systems to make
decisions that ensure every student graduates high school
prepared for success in college and the workplace
» Supports state policymakers and other key leaders to promote
the effective use of data to improve student achievement
» Developed the 10 Essential Elements (development) and 10
State Actions (use)
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How DQC Defines Data
» We define data as:
– More than test scores, including attendance and coursetaking, as well as teacher and financial information
– Any information stakeholders need to make decisions,
which means more than state-level data
– P–20W data that span early childhood through
postsecondary and the workforce
» We think the most useful data are:
– Longitudinal: follow individual students over time and
across systems and sectors
– Actionable: timely, user friendly, and tailored to users
– Contextual: robust, comparable, and presented as part of
a bigger picture
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How DQC Defines Effective Data Use:
Continuous Improvement
PAST:
COMPLIANCE
PRESENT:
ACCOUNTABILITY
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FUTURE:
CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
How DQC Thinks Data Can Help Children
Effective
data use
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Enabling Conditions to Foster a Culture
of Effective Data Use
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Barriers to Ensuring Effective Data Use:
“The Four Ts”
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We Can Use Data AND Protect Data
Minimize risk and
protect privacy,
security, &
confidentiality
Maximize effective
data use to
improve child
outcomes
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#EdData
How Far Have States Come in Ensuring
Effective Data Use?
17 states
publicly
posting at
least two
reports
using
aggregate
longitudinal
data
The average
state had 4-5
of the 10
Essential
Elements of
Statewide
Longitudinal
Data Systems
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
The
average
state had
9-10
Elements,
all states
committed
to build all
10
2010
2012
36 states
using state
funds for
their P–20
data system
8 states
using state
funds for
their P–20
data system
@EdDataCampaign
2011
42 states
publicly
posting at
least two
reports
using
aggregate
longitudinal
data
#EdData
About Data for Action
» DQC invites each state’s governor’s office to participate in the
survey. The governor’s office can appoint a designee to
respond to the survey in collaboration with stakeholders.
» An online survey tool is used to collect self-reported
information from each of the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.
– In part one of the survey, states answer a series of questions
about each of the 10 State Actions.
– In part two, states report on emerging data issues and promising
practices in the field.
» DQC determines whether or not states receive credit for each
Action based on states’ responses.
» States responded to the survey in summer 2012, reflecting
the current status of their work at that time.
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Data for Action: 10 State Actions to
Support Effective Data Use
LINKING P–20W Data
1. Link P–20W data systems
2. Create stable, sustained support
3. Develop governance structures
4. Build data repositories
ENSURING DATA ACCESS
5. Provide timely data access
6. Create individual student progress
reports
7. Create longitudinal reports
BUILDING CAPACITY TO USE DATA
8. Develop research agenda
9. Build educator capacity
10.Raise awareness of available data
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#EdData
No State Has All 10 State Actions
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But States Are Making Progress
» All states have at least one Action, showing a
commitment to working toward effective data use.
» Twelve states gained two or more Actions, making
strides in supporting effective data use
(AK, DC, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, NJ, NM, OR, VT, and WY).
» Ten states have eight or nine of the Actions, a
substantial increase from four states in 2011
(IN, LA, ME, NC, OH, and OR join AR, DE, FL, and TX).
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Gaining, Maintaining, and Lagging Actions
LAGGING
GAINING
GAINING
MAINTAINING
LAGGING
GAINING
GAINING
MAINTAINING
LAGGING
MAINTAINING
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Do These Results Ring True To You?
What might be the reason(s) for
Actions 5 and 9 lagging?
Is this true in your state?
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Almost Every State Links Some Early
Childhood and K-12 Data
What does it take to accomplish DQC’s Action 1?
Number of
States
K-12 and early childhood data are annually matched 46
and shared with a known match rate
K-12 and postsecondary data are annually matched 43
and shared with a known match rate
K-12 and workforce data are annually matched and
shared with a known match rate
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14
Uneven Linkages Between K-12 and Early
Childhood
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Linked Data Are Shared One Way: Up!
Type of Data Shared
ECE to K-12
K-12 to ECE
Demographic
Family characteristics
Program participation
(e.g., bilingual, ESL,
special education, FRPL)
Child-level developmental
data
44 states
19 states
41 states
22 states
9 states
20 states
21 states
7 states
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Drivers to Link ECE and K-12 Data
» Linked, shared, and coordinated ECE and K-12 data
are needed to inform decisionmaking at all levels,
from parents to policymakers
» Federal policies are accelerating state efforts
– State advisory councils
– Race to the Top Early Learning
– Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems
» National advocacy campaigns are advocating for ECE
and K-12 linkages
– Data Quality Campaign
– Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC)
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#EdData
Data for Action: 10 State Actions to
Support Effective Data Use
LINKING P–20W Data
1. Link P–20W data systems
2. Create stable, sustained support
3. Develop governance structures
4. Build data repositories
ENSURING DATA ACCESS
5. Provide timely data access
6. Create individual student progress
reports
7. Create longitudinal reports
BUILDING CAPACITY TO USE DATA
8. Develop research agenda
9. Build educator capacity
10.Raise awareness of available data
@EdDataCampaign
#EdData
Linking P–20W Data
KEY FINDING:
States have laid the foundation to link P–
20W data systems but lack governance
structures with the authority necessary
to share appropriate and limited critical
data.
This deficiency impedes their efforts to
empower stakeholders with critical
information to ensure positive outcomes
for children and their families.
@EdDataCampaign
#EdData
Key Question to Create a Culture of Data
» Did the governance bodies start their data planning
efforts with the most pressing questions from the
state’s stakeholders?
What are your most pressing
questions?
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#EdData
State Spotlight: Illinois
»
»
»
»
»
Illinois Learning Council
Early Childhood Data Work Group
Key Questions (2011)
Are children, birth to five in Illinois, receiving early care
and education? What impact are those programs having?
Is the quality of programs improving?
How prepared is the early care and education workforce
to provide effective education and care for all children?
What longitudinal information do we want to know
about children enrolled in early learning programs over
time?
How is data being used to align, prioritize, and mobilize
resources?
@EdDataCampaign
#EdData
Data for Action: 10 State Actions to
Support Effective Data Use
LINKING P–20W Data
1. Link P–20W data systems
2. Create stable, sustained support
3. Develop governance structures
4. Build data repositories
ENSURING DATA ACCESS
5. Provide timely data access
6. Create individual student progress
reports
7. Create longitudinal reports
BUILDING CAPACITY TO USE DATA
8. Develop research agenda
9. Build educator capacity
10.Raise awareness of available data
@EdDataCampaign
#EdData
Ensuring Data Access
KEY FINDING:
States are producing reports and
dashboards using longitudinal data but
are lagging in ensuring data access by
stakeholders such as parents.
There is more work to do to meet all
stakeholders’ needs.
@EdDataCampaign
#EdData
Key Questions to Create a Culture of
Data
» Do reports meet stakeholder needs?
» How can the state ensure that local stakeholders
have access to the data they need?
What data or reports would be
most helpful to you?
@EdDataCampaign
#EdData
State Spotlight: Kentucky’s 2013 Early
Childhood Profile Reports
» Aims to change the conversation in each community to achieve its goals
– Every Kentucky child will enter school ready to succeed
– Every parent will know what their child needs to be ready for school
– Every community will come together in support of their youngest children
» Provides each county with data to assist in developing local strategies
– results from the kindergarten screener pilot which was launched in 109
districts in 2012
– information about participation in publicly funded preschool, Head Start, and
child care
– information about the quality and availability of child care and the education
of the early childhood workforce
– demographic data representing key indicators of possible barriers to success
and participation in public health and social service programs that can help
» Produced in partnership with the Kentucky Center for Education and
Workforce Statistics, Kentucky Department of Education, and the Cabinet
for Health and Family Services
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State Spotlight: Kentucky
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#EdData
Data for Action: 10 State Actions to
Support Effective Data Use
LINKING P–20W Data
1. Link P–20W data systems
2. Create stable, sustained support
3. Develop governance structures
4. Build data repositories
ENSURING DATA ACCESS
5. Provide timely data access
6. Create individual student progress
reports
7. Create longitudinal reports
BUILDING CAPACITY TO USE DATA
8. Develop research agenda
9. Build educator capacity
10.Raise awareness of available data
@EdDataCampaign
#EdData
Building Capacity to Use Data
KEY FINDING:
States are increasingly providing
training to help stakeholders use data
but have not done enough to build the
capacity of all education stakeholders
to effectively use data.
@EdDataCampaign
#EdData
Key Questions to Create a Culture of
Data
» What is the state doing to ensure enabling conditions
to promote the use of data?
What supports do you need to feel
comfortable using data?
@EdDataCampaign
#EdData
State Spotlight: Oregon DATA Project
» Since 2007, the Oregon DATA Project has trained nearly
5,000 educators to use data to inform instructional
decisions.
» Using a grassroots approach, the Oregon DATA Project
has invested in teachers and school leaders by granting
technical access to student data and providing
comprehensive, job-embedded training on how to use
those data to make decisions in the classroom.
» Oregon has documented teachers feeling more
comfortable using data in the classroom, and the state
has seen improved student achievement in schools
participating in the Oregon DATA Project.
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State Spotlight: Oregon
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Additional Data for Action Resources
Please visit www.DataQualityCampaign.org for:
» National Analysis: National trends in states’ progress on
building and using state longitudinal data systems to
improve student achievement according to DQC’s 10
State Actions
(http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org/your-statesprogress/executive-summary/)
» State-by-State Analysis: Individual state profiles and the
ability to compare states to one another
» Action Issues: Deeper analyses about states’ data
capacity to support various education policies and
practices such as teacher effectiveness, parent
empowerment, college choice, early warning systems,
and high school feedback
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#EdData
Your State’s Progress
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Questions?
Elizabeth Dabney
Senior Associate
Data Quality Campaign
[email protected]
@EdDataCampaign
#EdData