Be Data-Driven
Data is important to successful decision making, but too often school board members, administrators, and teachers do not have the time, energy, or knowledge of how to analyze and work with the data. School boards in larger districts should provide curriculum specialists the tools to analyze the data using query software and then train teachers to utilize it. It is this kind of support for the district leaders that school boards can celebrate because the data does shape and support the goals of the district. This school board-driven practice of analyzing data will create a clear set of school performance expectations, and then eliminate any obstacles that do not support these expectations.
School boards can focus their governance on effective theories of action for change. Educators will often say that if we only operated like a business, we could be more successful. School boards may have an advantage over many businesses, because the desired output is clear: a well-educated student who is prepared for life after education and can contribute to a democratic society. If evidence does not support this outcome, the board must make decisions that are supported by the data they analyze.
