School and district leaders are focusing their attention on their own schools and others in the public system, but according to a new study, gathering broader data from charter and private schools could help to make quicker district improvements and fairer comparisons among schools. The study argues that district leaders need to use data from the education ecosystem, rather than simply focusing on their own schools, as 28 percent of public students don’t attend public schools – instead, they attend independent charter schools of district-run schools. With this in mind, officials should be tracking all education pathways to ensure that educators and parents can get all the information they need.
Because there is a general lack of knowledge with regards to this data, few agencies have understood the power that lies in having access to this data for the improved management of their schools. If districts don’t take full advantage of their data, they’re missing out on the opportunity to strategically manage and make course corrections. Most school data systems don’t provide parents with the chance to make subtle choices, even if they’re offering programmes that require the parents to do so. In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Information Network for Successful Schools is making high quality data available on a variety of indicators, from student behaviour and growth rates, to academic achievement. This data can often be difficult to find and isn’t available for every school.
There are three recommendations from experts to help improve this situation. Firstly, it’s advised that states and districts offering programmes should make comprehensive data available to parents, including the academic achievement and growth rates, in addition to the programme details. Secondly, states should develop longitudinal data on all schools, including private and charter schools, so that the institutes can be fairly compared. Lastly, states should develop tools to help both parents and those who aren’t familiar with the system so that they can analyse the charts and information easily.