Big Data and K-12 Education Are big analytics the appropriate method to address this problem and what should government involvement look like? Problem Student outcomes in the US and Canada lag behind in international rankings, which has a negative impact on the economy, international competitiveness, and on vulnerable populations.

Challenges Decentralized education system Disparate stakeholders Lack of infrastructure in schools/districts for data collection and analysis Lack of teacher training Significant start-up costs

Opportunities Customized learning environment for students Systematic feedback for both students and teachers Support an evidence-based approach to education Increase transparency and accountability Increased collaboration Increased efficiency (teacher time, student Use of non-education big data

Risks Privacy concerns o Mitigation: anonymized data, parent engagement Accuracy of data collection and analysis Over reliance on data o Mitigation: teacher training, analysis protocols Negative impact on student learning o Mitigation: balance in curriculum

Option 1: State-level approach States will be incentivized to expand data analytics capacities through reallocation of federal funding, however, states will decide on the most feasible and effective strategies to expand data infrastructure and implement teacher and administrator preparedness programs. ImplementationExpected Outcomes At state/provincial level, incorporate incentives Localized data-oriented trainings for teachers and administrators Drawbacks: lack of accountability, lack of national level data decision- making Continuation of privacy State/provincial sovereignty of data Teachers/administrators trained in data No change in costs to federal governments Improved state-level student outcomes

Option 2: Leverage Private Sector Expertise Leverage big-data capabilities of the private sector to improve classroom instruction. Promote competition and innovation among vendors. Government (all levels) plays background role by providing tax incentives and easing regulations. ImplementationExpected Outcomes Bottom-up approach, focused on improving student outcomes at the classroom level Leverage private foundation funding and innovation (i.e. Gates, Walton) to personalize instruction and student outcome analysis Improved quality of instruction and student data tracking at the school and classroom level Little reliance on public spending Risks: increased inequality in student outcomes, misuse of data by private firms

Option 3: National Strategy (Rec.) Establish federal bodies in the US and Canada that will implement a national BDA strategy for education. This would would be dedicated to funding physical infrastructure and capacity, harmonizing data collection, and fostering collaboration across jurisdictions. ImplementationExpected Outcomes Top-down approach (federal model), but provincial/state and local buy-in is essential Build on existing infrastructure Comprehensive risk-mitigation strategy Up to $1 trillion in economic gains (US) with proper investments Improved student outcomes Supply side of labour market will be better matched to future demands