Data is one of the most vital things your school can collect. It’s easy to make assumptions about what students, parents, faculty, and staff actually want. But data, collected often and pragmatically, provides ongoing, tangible insight into what your constituencies really want and need.
The first step when initiating a data collection process is creating a data team. This group of people is strategically chosen to represent stakeholders, bringing together diverse sets of skills that are necessary for success. This group will include the School Head and members of the Board, along with Leadership Team members, other administrators, and faculty members.
Their diverse set of knowledge and skills will ensure that the data collected can be disseminated throughout school operations. The primary job of the data team is to oversee the data management cycle. This includes:
- Communication
- Preparation
- Collection
- Implementation
- Communication
- Organization
- Integration
- Assessment
- Communication
Note how many times communication is included in this list. That's because communication is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, responsibilities of this team. Without communication, no one will know what the data team does, why they’re doing it, or how their findings will impact school decisions.
To get started, the data team should ask the following questions. Once the answers are agreed upon, they can begin their work.
- How are we going to collect the data?
- What is it going to cost, and how will it be funded?
- If we decide to use surveys, how will they be designed? When they will be conducted?
- Does our data management team require any specific training? What resources are available to provide training?
- What defines success when it comes to data collection and implementation?
- How will the data be integrated into daily processes to inform decision-making?
Creating a data team ensures decisions are derived from the wants and needs of your whole school community—not influenced by a vocal minority or based on anecdotal evidence.
Additional ISM resources:
The Source for Private School News Vol. 16 No. 7 A Primer on Data Privacy for Your School
The Source for Advancement Vol. 15 No. 3 Obtaining Reliable Data From Surveys to Guide Your Decision-Making
Additional ISM resources for members:
I&P Vol. 40 No. 12 Responsible Survey Data Communication
I&P Vol. 40 No. 4 A Guide to Responsible Survey Data Analysis
