How to Make Data Work ─ A Guide for Educational Leaders

Educators are increasingly responsible for using data to improve teaching and learning in their schools. This helpful guide provides leaders with simple steps for accurate analysis and interpretation of data, to avoid common errors and pitfalls.How to Make Data Work provides clear strategies for analyzing, understanding, reporting, and using data, no matter what data system or educational technology tools are in place in your disctrict. With this tried-and-true guidance, you’ll have the tools to advocate your staff to adhere to data reporting standards, avoid misinterpretation of data, and improve the data use climate in your school.

Jenny Grant Rankin is Chief Education and Research Officer at Illuminate Education, an educational technology data systems company that works with hundreds of school districts. She has a PhD in Education (specializing in School Improvement Leadership) and has been a teacher, assistant principal, technology coordinator, and district administrator. She writes for a range of publications including theNewsletter of the California Council on Teacher Education (CCTE), Ed-Fi Alliance Blog,EdSurge, EdTech Review, Edtech Women, Edukwest, eSchoolNews,ISTE EdTechHub, and OnCUE: Journal of Computer Using Educators (CUE). Her recent awards include, Teacher of the Year, #EduWin Award, EdTech’s 2014 Must-Read Higher Education Technology Blogs List, finalist for EdTech Digest’s Trendsetter Award, SIGNL Award for Twitter Followers Momentum, and Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) Academic Expert.