School Data Rooms Bring Data Out of the Drawers and Into the Open

The information school administrators gather is fantastic, but they often end up storing them – literally. Assessment and accountability movements are making schools have to get data out of the drawers and out into the open. Some are taking this one step further with school data rooms, where teachers can access student data in an organized and accessible manner.

At Gilliard Elementary School in Mobile, Alabama, color-coded sticky notes line the walls of a space known as “the data room.” The notes inform teachers where their students are on reading and math standards, as well as attendance and discipline records.

The goal is to aid teachers in identifying and addressing students’ needs prior to they become out of control. For instance, if a student isn’t meeting his or her reading goal the teacher might offer extra practice in class or work with that student outside of school. If a student is having a behavior problem and the teacher is concerned about it, they can suggest counseling or even consider removing the student from the classroom completely.

In addition, by putting data at the forefront, teachers can also celebrate successes with their students. This is a major part of Baker’s strategy. Last spring a homeless student proudly proclaimed that he had reached his goal of reading.

Make sure you follow FERPA guidelines and ensure your students’ privacy before you make the transition to a data room. This is particularly important for classroom data displays, in which sensitive information such as counseling sessions or disciplinary actions may be revealed accidentally.

http://www.dataroomdata.com/how-to-set-up-a-data-room-for-your-company/