Big data is a new term that can imply both new forms data and new analytic techniques. While big data is routine for many businesses and some sciences, it is new to education. Two characteristics of big data (in addition…
Blog Archives
What is Big Data For Education?
Posted in Big ideas & theories, Information infrastructure, Signs of the times Tagged with: #big data
What is a Data Governance Plan and Why is it Needed?
Data can be powerful. It provides analysts and businesses with insights into patterns and behaviors that mere intuition rarely can. It holds tremendous potential for education as well. At the same time, data can have personal and private information. The…
Posted in Big ideas & theories, Signs of the times, Uncategorized Tagged with: Data Diversity, datagovernence
Why is the KIPP Character Report Card Interesting?
The KIPP Character Report Card involves a set of metrics developed by KIPP for use in tracking their students. In 2005 Dave Levin, one of KIPP’s co-founders, began to look seriously at issues of student character. KIPP had always stressed…
Why Does The Educational Data Movement Mention Specific People and Organizations?
The book The Educational Data Movement: Crossing Boundaries, Searching for Student Success mentions many individuals and organizations by name and often discusses connections between them. Some of these individuals and organizations are associated with philanthropies and some are part of…
Posted in Big ideas & theories, Uncategorized
Book on Educational Data Movement Almost Complete
For Teacher College Press Technology, Education–Connections (TEC) Series The Educational Data Movement: Crossing Boundaries in Search of Student Success Educators are engulfed in a data movement pressing them to manage their social and human work using business concepts and tools.…
Posted in About, Big ideas & theories
Is Data-Driven Decision Making Dead or Just in Rehab?
The recent release of Teacher Data Reports (TDR) in New York City made the problems with evaluations based on tests scores visible for many people. The idea of evaluating teachers based on how well their students do is a simple…
Can MBAs Save Our Schools?
In a recent post, Chris Tessone with the slightly right-of-center Thomas B. Fordham Institute suggested MBA types working in school systems (supported by large foundations) should give up on that lost cause because the cultural and organizational issues are too…
Posted in Signs of the times
Should I Still Title My Book Managing to Teach?
When I began writing a book about education and the data movement, I found the title Managing to Teach compelling and appropriate. In addition to being short and active, the title spoke to the issue of management – instructional management…
Posted in Signs of the times
Can Education Data Reforms Learn from Business Experience with IT?
The past decade has seen increasing use of data collection and use in education along with principles from business for its use. The data were initially driven by high-stakes test scores following federal NCLB legislation and related programs around evidence.…
