Moving from Data to Action: Bridging the Information Gap Presented by Judith Walker de Felix and Ellyn Artis

1. Moving from Data to Action:
Bridging the Information Gap
Ellyn Artis, Education Delivery Institute
Judith Walker de Felix, University of Missouri – St. Louis
Moving from Data to Action:
Bridging the Information Gap

2. Workshop Objectives
 Understand the delivery framework and it’s
connection to using data for action
 Hear about an applied experience at University of
Missouri-St. Louis
 Learn about our data capacity tool that helps leaders
reflect on how the campus uses data for decision-
making

3. Ellyn Artis
Director of Higher Education
Education Delivery Institute
Judith Walker de Felix
Associate Provost, Academic Affairs
and Dean of the Graduate School
University of Missouri-St Louis
Please meet your session speakers!

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EDI partners with higher ed leaders to implement strategies to bolster
student success
3©2015 U.S. Education Delivery Institute
EDI partners with public education systems to help leaders
implement major reform efforts
Current EDI Partners K-12
Higher Education
Both
Our mission is to
partner with K-12 and
higher education
systems with
ambitious reform
agendas and invest in
their leaders'
capacity to deliver
results. By
employing all or parts
of a proven approach,
known as delivery, we
help state leaders
maintain the
necessary focus to
plan and drive reform.

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The delivery approach produces results by focusing leaders on four
fundamental questions
“delivery” (n.) is a systematic process through which system and
campus leaders can drive progress and deliver results
It involves asking the following questions consistently and rigorously:
1 What are we trying to do?
2 How are we planning to do it?
3 At any given moment, how will we know whether we are on track?
4 If not, what are we going to do about it?

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“Good data, while essential, is only a start—you then have to use it!”

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We work with leaders at various levels to align, focus, and prioritize
student success efforts underway
Enrollment Targets
Learning Communities
“15 to Finish”
Intrusive Advising
Undergraduate Research/HIPs
Early Alert
Student Supports for
specific student groups
Transfer Student Supports
Cohort Registration
Peer Mentors

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We believe that these behaviors are necessary for campuses to use
data effectively in decision making
Campuses must:
 Have clear targets against which to measure performance
 Use timely data (both headline metrics and leading indicators) that are monitor
progress on a regular basis
 Disaggregate the data in order to isolate outcomes for specific groups of students
 Establish routines that help teams come to a shared view of progress
 Involve IR in relevant conversations and analyses to take advantage of existing
expertise
 Empower decision makers to seek and use relevant data to support students

9. Workshop Objectives
 Understand the delivery framework and it’s
connection to using data for action
 Hear about an applied experience at University of
Missouri-St. Louis
 Learn about our data capacity tool that helps leaders
reflect on how the campus uses data for decision-
making

10.  Non-traditional students
 Most diverse university in Missouri
 Urban land-grant and research mission
 Political institution with coalitions driving change
 Lots of data but rarely used strategically
UMSL’s context is like many other schools

11. Delivery Unit Principles
▪ Be small
▪ Reside outside the line of responsibility
▪ Have time to devote to student success efforts
▪ Have skills in:
– Problem solving
– Relationship management
– Data analysis
– Feedback and coaching
– Delivery mindset

12.  Communication plan
 Mandatory orientation
 Feedback to academics
 Advising
 Policies & processes
 Four-year degree plans
 Accountability processes
 Reports to deans
 From processes to outcomes
 Leading Indicators
 DFWI reports
UMSL’s Action Plan: Phase One

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Council of Dean’s Traffic Light Judgments on Goals
Goals 2010–2011
College
1
College
2
College
3
College
4
College
5
College
6
College
7
College
8
College
9
Campus Visits
Orientation
Advising Process
Assessment
FYE
Graduation Plans
4-year Degree Plans
N/A
DWI Reduction
Tutoring
Exit Interview Process
Degree Completion
N/A N/A N/A

14.  Review individual students’ progress.
 Propose more policy changes.
 Hold deans accountable for students’ success.
 Connect A2S with campus strategic plan
UMSL’s Action Plan: Phase Two

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Council of Dean’s Judgments on Goals
Goals 2010–2011
College
1
College
2
College
3
College
4
College
5
College
6
College
7
College
8
FS-FS All FR
Retention
FS-FS FR URM
Retention
FS-FS FR Pell
Retention
FS-FS All TR
Retention
FS-FS TR URM
Retention
0
FS-FS TR Pell
Retention
< 50%
50-70%
71-85%
86-100%
Student Success (graduation plus persistence)

16. Time to Celebrate UMSL’s Success
 Deliverology works!
 Look for leadership in
new places.
 Use the data that you
have
 Require periodic
stocktaking
 Hold everyone
accountable—publicly
if possible
 Celebrate!

17. Workshop Objectives
 Understand the delivery framework and it’s
connection to using data for action
 Hear about an applied experience at University of
Missouri-St. Louis
 Learn about our data capacity tool that helps leaders
reflect on how the campus uses data for decision-
making

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EDI’s rubric helps campuses think about their ability to use data to
drive decisions

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The data self-assessment tool helps campuses understand current
capacity to answer these questions
Rubric category This category asks us to think about…
Access and
efficiency
Monitoring
Problem solving
The ease and speed with which data can be
accessed or retrieved from campus systems
Culture
Actions taken to understand progress on
campus goals and metrics
The processes we use to turn what we learn
from campus data into action around campus
strategies
The attitudes and reactions of campus faculty
and staff toward making decisions using
campus data

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The rubric allows you to assess your campus in each category
Category
Access and efficiency
Monitoring
Problem solving
Culture
Rating Rationale Summary
Capacity to
use data to
make
decision on
campus
Red: Our campus must focus on improving in this area to use data effectively in decision making
Orange: Our campus must improve in this area, though in some aspects more than others
Yellow: Our campus should continue in the aspects we find strong, but focus on weak points
Green: Our campus is successfully using our capacity in this area to use data to make decisions

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To download more of our tools, please visit:
www.deliveryinstitute.org

22. Questions?