Key Point:
As data analytics takes off in the K-12 sector, educators are turning to data insights to identify student learning abilities and opportunity areas, increase operational efficiency, and support teacher professional development. It's starting to get more and more attention. Understandably, administrators are often tempted to leverage powerful enterprise-grade solutions such as PowerBI and Tableau. After all, if it's good enough for a Fortune 500 company, it's good enough for a school district, right?
It's not that fast.
There's no denying that enterprise-grade data analytics solutions are powerful, but managers must consider how the approach taken to harness the potential of their data will impact long-term results. there is. For example, enterprise-grade solutions often come with expensive seat licenses or overbuilt software, making extracting insights from data costly and complex.
Instead, school district administrators should consider real-time data analytics platforms specifically designed and customized for K-12 education. These platforms are typically customized to student data and provide real-time information that can make a real difference to a student's education.
Here's what school administrators need to know to make informed decisions about implementing data solutions.
Traditional enterprise platforms: K-12 mismatch
In addition to being expensive and overbuilt for education, there are several reasons why traditional data platforms are not suitable for K-12 education. Cost and scalability are two key factors. Enterprise platforms are expensive, and costs increase rapidly once you have more than 20 users, making them unfeasible even for large school districts. In effect, access to the data will be restricted to a small number of administrative staff.
School administrators considering legacy data platforms may also be underestimating the technical expertise required to operate these systems. Legacy platforms typically require skilled data scientists to manage complex data warehousing and integration and extract actionable insights from the data. Few school districts have the in-house expertise to leverage data or the budget to hire a team of data scientists.
Finally, consider the limited focus of legacy data platforms. Data analysis provided by traditional systems is often limited to evaluation and accountability, such as grades, test scores, and attendance. They are not built to provide a comprehensive assessment of student performance, and they certainly do not have the ability to provide “whole child” data such as mental health or behavior.
The power of real-time data analysis
On the other hand, a real-time data analytics platform built for K-12 school districts has everything that traditional platforms don't. Affordability and scalability are its biggest advantages. Instead of requiring an expensive team of data scientists to customize the platform, education data-as-a-service (DaaS) typically outsources data management to experts that enable scalability at a reasonable cost. A DaaS platform built for education can also accommodate all users within a school district: administrators, teachers, counselors, students, families, and even community members who work with students.
DaaS systems automate the movement of data and make it accessible to those who need it without expensive licenses. This gives the right people access to the latest data at the right time to enhance educational decision-making.
Real-time data analysis also provides valuable holistic insights that help educators make the right decisions for their students. By centralizing data on academics, behavior, attendance, and teachers, stakeholders gain valuable insights that drive understanding of the “whole child.”
So instead of counselors submitting IT help tickets and downloading data that is already months behind, DaaS systems provide real-time data that counselors can use to provide better student guidance. Alternatively, teachers can look at a student's past MAP score data to see in which areas the student needs help and provide tutoring or other support.
Successful integration strategy
Successful implementation requires an ongoing process, as districts consistently collect data from multiple sources. Whether at the behest of school boards, teachers, educators, or families, there will inevitably be needs and requests for additional data to fine-tune a district's approach. As such, managers must maintain an open mindset and follow a long-term strategic approach, including:
- Data ownership: Take ownership of your district's data. After all, it's school data, not vendor data. The right vendor will work with school districts to centralize data for better analysis and action.
- Get leadership buy-in: The support of the superintendent and board will ensure successful district-wide implementation. Engage with decision-makers early on to secure resources and begin driving cultural change. On the operational side, have teachers serve as early adopters and champions of data solutions. Teachers are on the front lines and know what approaches will best serve their students.
- Recognize your data challenges: Start by knowing your problem. We work to recognize where there are current limitations and gaps in data usage and find solutions that can solve those challenges. Now is not the time to compromise. Continue interviewing partners until you find one who can meet your needs.
Harness the power of data
DaaS platforms offer school districts an innovative approach to seamless collaboration and data sharing that can accelerate student learning like never before. By providing the same data to administrators, teachers, counselors, students, families, and even community members, DaaS solutions provide actionable insights into the whole child and provide insight into the K-12 education landscape. Can be rebuilt. To take advantage of this potential, administrators need to work with a partner who understands K-12 education and understands the importance of dedicated real-time data analysis. This approach allows educators to make the most of data and help students get the most out of their education.