The document discusses one school's process of developing a data dashboard to better manage and use institutional data. The school realized it was collecting data but not using it effectively. It then took three steps: 1) Asking the right questions about how to measure success and gauge organizational health; 2) Carefully collecting the most important data that was available; and 3) Strategically reporting the data to facilitate discussions and monitor goals. The dashboard helped answer questions about learning, operations, projects, demographics, and student outcomes, and allowed the school to better understand trends, crises, and learn from its past.
The Plural of Anecdote is Not Data: One School's Story of Developing a Data Dashboard
1.
2. The Plural of Anecdote is Not Data
One school's story of developing a data dashboard
ECIS Administators Conference 2009, Lisbon
Kevin Bartlett and David Willows
bartlettk@isb.be
willowsd@isb.be
3. Let’s get the conversation started…
What are some of the biggest challenges you face
when managing and using data?
4. Facing up to where we were…
• We collected data but did nothing with it
• We weren’t sure what data was the most important
• We weren’t sure how to report data
• No one listened anyway
• It (not surprisingly) did not lead to changes in behaviour
5. Step 1 Ask the right questions
How do we know if we are being
successful in our mission of
inclusion, challenge and
success?
6. … which quickly led us to asking a whole bunch of other questions:
• How do we gauge the health of the organisation?
• How do we learn from the past?
• How do we make best use of management
and Board meetings?
• How do we know if we have met our goals?
• Do we even have goals for all our strategic objectives?
• Are they the right goals?
7. Step 2 Collect with caution
•Determine data that would answer key questions
•Identify which data that you already have or can realistically get
•Prioritize and organize until you have something manageable
Finding simplicity in the complexity
8. Step 3 Report strategically
2008/09 YTD Interviews vs. 3 yr Target
450
400
350
The School on 300
250
Interviews
200
One Page
150
100
50
0
Aug-08 Sep-08 Oct-08 Nov-08 Dec-08 Jan-09 Feb-09 Mar-09 Apr-09 May-09 Jun-09 Jul-09
Aug-08 Sep-08 Oct-08 Nov-08 Dec-08 Jan-09 Feb-09 Mar-09 Apr-09 May-09 Jun-09 Jul-09
25 55 83 110
YTD Interviews
29 48 70 96 111 142 179 228 268 329 389 412
3 yr avg - Aug 2008
9.
10. So what?
Back to the bunch of questions
• How do we gauge the health of the organisation?
• How do we learn from the past?
• How do we make best use of management
and Board meetings?
• How do we know if we have met our goals?
• Do we even have goals for all our strategic objectives?
• Are they the right goals?
11. How do we gauge the health of the
organisation?
Defining ‘health’ from multiple perspectives.
• Learning
• Operations
• Strategic projects
• Demographics
• Customer opinion
12. How do we learn from the past?
ISB operates on 26% turnover each year.
The Board of Trustees changes at the same rate.
Our ability to ‘forget’ in times of crisis is perhaps our
biggest threat of all.
13. How do we learn from the past?
ISB operates on 26% turnover each year.
The Board of Trustees changes at the same rate.
Our ability to ‘forget’ in times of crisis is perhaps our
biggest threat of all.
14. How do we learn from the past?
ISB operates on 26% turnover each year.
The Board of Trustees changes at the same rate.
Our ability to ‘forget’ in times of crisis is perhaps our
biggest threat of all.
17. How do we learn from the past?
• Despite a trend upwards, enrolment at ISB is ALWAYS cyclical
• Periods of economic downturn have ALWAYS impacted enrolment at
ISB
• Typically the negative impact is felt over a 2-3 year period
• The largest cumulative fall in enrolment was 1974-82: 22%
• But remember that at this time the market was very different: >50%
US prior to 1984, 24% today
18. How do we make best use of
management and Board meetings?
Data is not just a product, but also
influences process
Board
Meeting
EXCOM
Meeting
Board
Committees
Heads
and
Directors
19. How do we know if we have
met our goals?
We continue to answer this question.
What do have noticed so far is:
• better conversations
• more target focused
• more disciplined
• one version of the ‘story’