What is “data” in schools?
There are various types of data that are associated with managing education in schools – and these extend beyond mere assessment or tests scores. They involve data about learners, their parents, educators, school infrastructure, etc. to mention a few. However, the data that is of paramount importance that which provides the basis for parents, learners, educators, school management teams, and policymakers to draw inferences from this data and make decisions – data-driven decisions.
But what is this data-driven decision-making? It is about collection, analysis and taking informed decisions based on data for school improvement. This data when used efficiently and effectively, empowers all stakeholders involved. It evolves into data-driven education.
Data enables the measuring of effectiveness.
In the South African schools’ context, data from schools is required for administration, management, and reporting and by the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Provincial Education Departments and their respective school districts for planning, decision making and to support and monitor schools to improve learning outcomes. The data collected at school level provides the means of accountability for budget allocated for Education, in addition to disseminating critical information that informs the national Department and provinces’ respective strategies and policies on education management and administration. This data needs to be of high quality and be accessible to all in “real-time” or “just-in-time”.
Making teaching and learning more effective with the use of data
To date, South Africa has made great strides towards a data-driven education system through DBE providing a free technology platform called the South African School Administration and Management System (SA-SAMS).
To make more sense of this data in SA- SAMS, DBE uses Data Driven District (DDD) programme, a web-based reporting and analysis tool to visualise this data. This is thanks to an initiative launched by DBE in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation in 2012.
According to the reports emanating from this initiative, this will enable DBE to have near real-time attendance, assessment and education progress data for the country’s more than 25 000 schools and over 12 million learners, almost immediately for daily operations. The dashboard provided by the DDD is driven by a graphic tool which displays how districts, circuits and schools are performing on issues of attendance for both educators and learners – including learner results and advancement.
How data will shape education in schools
Data will certainly reform the way teaching and learning takes place in schools as it reshapes how a traditional classroom functions and the dynamics of teaching. The use of data in schools will require or involve the inclusion of digital tools in classes as both educators and learners increasingly experience data-driven exchanges as part of customized academic processes for 21st century skills. In her SONA 2019 parliamentary debate, the DBE Minister, Angie Motshekga termed this movement the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as cited by World Economic Forum.
In the data-driven classroom, collecting and analyzing learners’ data will constitute a process of how performance is tracked and reported on in schools. Amongst others, digital curricula and availability of data will drastically change how educators and learners work. In conclusion, the availability of credible data in schools is of critical importance – which necessitates a befitting school technology platform to be secured to ease the provision of data analysis in schools for effective decision-making.
One response to “Part 1: Importance of Data in Schools”
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