How do we collectively help schools manage all this data?
Data Security. Big Data. Personalized Data. Data Breech. We all have been inundated lately with the growing complex conversations around data management including the critical information collected in education.
One fact not to lose focus of when you pick up that publication touting the numerous perceived educational data shortcomings or fears: Schools have been in the data management business for decades.
Each year we force schools to expand their expected core competences past their traditional charge of preparing future citizens for life, further education, or entering the workforce. Schools are now psychological, pharmacological, marketing, nutritional, social and, yes, even correctional systems hubs for numerous “non-core” competence.
One of the latest and highest profile new deliverables is safe and effective management of administrative, operational and learner data. Keep in mind that over 86 percent of American schools have less than 5,000 students enrolled and many times the local data, educational technology, networking and IT management falls on the shoulder of 2-3 period a day classroom math and/or science instructor!
This lack of personnel bandwidth is probably one of the reasons for the influx of large data initiatives like those being seen from foundations, venture capitalists, marketplace providers, and even government entities. We all think that we can help these schools “get it right.”
It is critical for schools to address data and communication shortcomings as parents and students living in this “Information Age” have unprecedented access to data in all other aspects of their lives, whether it’s ordering products, banking or accessing technical support in real time with the click of a button.
So with that, the question remains: how do we collectively help schools manage all this data?
(Next page: 3 ways schools can manage data and communication shortcoming)
- 3 ways to solve data and communication shortcomings - May 21, 2014