Putting the 'Byte' in Educational Decisionmaking
What do ATM cards, supermarket checkout scanners, electronic payroll deposits, highway "E-Z Pass" lanes, and the World Wide Web have in common? The simple answer is modern technology. In our modem world, jet engines are diagnosed for problems in midflight by on-board computers, and professional coaches review videoclips of specific plays by keying in "pass play" or "punt." The medical profession has traded the scalpel for imaging technology to make exploratory diagnoses. Business, medical, and professional-sports leaders know that technology gives them the edge. The importance of the "byte" in these diverse fields is not debated.
On the other hand, what is the status of the "byte" in educational decisionmaking? Are superintendents and principals able to easily analyze student achievement, course-taking trends, or budget expenditures using technology specifically designed for this purpose? Unfortunately, the technological revolution transforming the world of business, medicine, and manufacturing is largely unavailable to educators. Though schools are awash in data, their leaders are unable to analyze the volumes of data they have because technology programs to do so are either unavailable or too expensive. Schools, caught up in one reform after another, could, with the help of the "byte," improve decisionmaking in the same way business and other fields have.
Trying to access all the pertinent data to solve a problem can be overwhelming. The solution in the private sector has been to use information-management and data-warehousing technologies. These sophisticated systems allow busy professionals quick access to the relevant data needed to make decisions in a competitive, fast-paced world. School leadership is no different--the environment in which we work is intense, decisions need to be made quickly, with accountability the driving force. But unlike our private-sector counterparts, we are unable to manage our data because we lack the information-management tools that have transformed almost every sector except education. These technologies have yet to be applied to the...
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