Voices of Experience

District leaders developing school data initiatives can learn from those who have gone before.

By Rhea R. Borja

District administrators seeking to help spur student achievement and district productivity through data may feel overwhelmed with the sheer scope of the task. They may wonder, “Where do I begin?”

First, school leaders should assemble a team of educators from all levels to handle the logistics of the data system, from taking an inventory of available data to planning the system’s visual presentation, say school and data-company leaders.

Districts should also make sure to build support in the community for the initiative, and organize it around the district’s strategic plan, they say. The school district’s data team can play a central role in achieving...