From Data Poor, Information Poor to Data Rich, Information Rich Decision- Making: Design and Implementation of the Rocky View Schools Student Information System Paper by J.M. Burger & A. Nadirova Discussant comments: Carol Campbell Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

Leadership and Educational Change to Develop Professional Capacity to Support Improved Student Learning, Engagement, Opportunity, Equity and Achievement Change Knowledge & Capacity Building Leadership & Professional Knowledge Knowledge of Specific Education Practices & Policies Data, Research, Evidence & Knowledge Mobilization to Inform Understanding & Action

Leading with Evidence for Educational Improvement 3

Persuasion…. “The Rocky View School (RVS) Three- Year Education Plan directs staff to “Develop a system-wide, balanced, and integrated student information system that supports instant diagnostics of individual student achievement, as well as aggregated data at the classroom, school, and jurisdictional levels (Strategy 4.2.2)” Burger & Nadirova (2012: 1)

Precision… According to Burger & Nadirova (2012), student information systems that are: Transparent, multi-method, balanced, comprehensive, directly linked to educational/instructional leadership With a RVS Student Information System design including data from: Achievement data Ability tests Aptitude Attitude

Evidence for Excellence & Equity INPUTS OUTPUTS PROCESSES OUTCOMES Concerns for educational provision, access & equality Concerns for achievement outcomes, performance gaps & equity Concerns for educational quality, capacity & opportunity policy Concerns for monitoring of implementation impact & initial effectiveness Evidence for Efficiency & Effectiveness

Evidence for Excellence & Equity INPUTS OUTPUTS PROCESSES OUTCOMES Concerns for educational provision & equality Concerns for achievement outcomes, performance gaps & equity Concerns for educational quality, capacity & opportunity policy Concerns for monitoring of implementation impact & initial effectiveness Evidence for Efficiency & Effectiveness Indices Cost- Benefit School Effectiveness Target Setting Improvement Planning Achievement Results Performance Gaps School Climate Well- being Statistical Neighbours Graduation Rates Credit accumulation Transitions Growth Models Educator Supply & Quality Teacher Evaluation Value- Added Formative Evaluation Monitoring Summative Evaluation Assessment for Learning College & Career Ready Student Work & Instruction Item- level analysis Report Cards Student Engagement Trajectories & Trends Value for Money International Benchmarking Attitude

From Data & Information Rich… To Inquiry, Analysis and Action Rich Data use includes: Discovering issues Diagnosing situations Forecasting future conditions Improving policy and practice Evaluating effectiveness Promoting accountability (Earl and Katz, 2006)

Professionalism… Building professional capacity, creating coherence and making connections between… RVS Student Information System Policy HK – Assessment and Communication of Student Learning RVS Professional Learning Model Cycle 5 Alberta Initiative on Student Learning Other…?

How the World’s Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better (Mourshed et al., 2010) Improvement Journey ThemeAchieving the basics of literacy & numeracy Getting the foundations in place Shaping the professional Improving through peers & innovation Intervention cluster Providing motivation & scaffolding for low skill teachers Getting all schools to a minimum quality level Getting students in seats Data & accountability foundation Financial & organizational foundation Pedagogical foundation Raising caliber of entering teachers & principals Raising caliber of existing teachers & principals School-based decision-making Cultivating peer-led learning for teachers & principals Creating additional support mechanisms for professionals System-sponsored experimentation/ innovation across schools Poor to FairFair to GoodGood to GreatGreat to Excellent

Partnerships… Dedicated and distributed leadership, ownership and engagement for: 1.Infrastructure & culture 2.Managing & leading 3.Strategy, capacity & delivery 4.Determining and defining data and evidence priorities 5.Collaborating, sharing learning and mobilizing knowledge (within and beyond RVS) 6.Connecting to system accountability, school improvement, educational leadership, professional capacity, student success and parent/community involvement

Perseverance…

Data & Information Rich: Pressures & Priorities The push for multiple measures combined with the scientific principle of parsimony. The quest for broader measures combined with being vigilant to focus on priority goals. The call for rigorous measures and metrics balanced with ensuring relevant, appropriate & useful evidence for educational decisions, professional capacity & student learning. The variety of data requests, opportunities and developments while aiming for alignment and coherence. The attention given to developing increasingly sophisticated analyses and the appeal of ‘big data’ with the ‘simplexity’ required for understanding and action. The priority remains excellence and equity in and through education, combined with evidence of and for efficiency and effectiveness.

Data & Information Rich Inquiry, Analysis & Action Rich System Accountability & Improvement; Evidence-Informed Education Leadership; Professional Learning & Practice; Student Success!

Thank You!