Building Data Leadership Practices 

By Lauren Zellmer, OEA ​Education Consultant, DPI

Who Can Help Me Engage  Educators and School Leaders With Student Data?
The WISExplore team, composed of CESA and DPI consultants,  actively engages educators with data inquiry processes to build capacity for effective data use. The ultimate goal is for educators to design and implement culturally responsive continuous improvement based on their analyses. The WISExplore Team builds expertise with Data Specialists located in each CESA, who are empowered to work directly with your school or district to meet your unique data inquiry needs. 

What is the Data Inquiry Process?
The data inquiry process focuses on student data inquiry, practices data inquiry, and improvement planning. Each part guides teams through a needs assessment, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement. This can be used for improvement planning, program evaluation, grants or student/school learning objectives (SLOs).

What Tools Can Help Me With the Data Inquiry Process? 
The  Data Inquiry Journal (DIJ) tool located within WISEdash for Districts can help  guide users through the process. The Data Inquiry Process for School Improvement video provides an overview of how the data inquiry process can be used as a tool to guide schools and districts through the school improvement process. 

How Do I Get Access to Statewide Student Data?
The WISExplore inquiry process actively engages educators with WISEdash portals and other state and local sources to support their data inquiry.  WISEdash for Districts is a secure portal that allows district leaders to turn data into information quickly and easily to make more informed decisions about student learning and school improvement planning. The Using WISEdash for Data Inquiry video describes how the tool can be used for multiple purposes in data investigation and school improvement planning.

How do I Build a Culture of Data Leadership?
Data leadership is an essential component of effective data use to inform continuous improvement and classroom instruction. Effective educational leaders establish collaborative processes that support a culture of data use and assure data quality. Go to the WISExplore Data Leadership webpage to find a variety of data leadership templates, self-assessments and videos to support meaningful inquiry for school improvement. For example, the Self-Assessment of Data-Informed Leadership focuses on six leadership elements needed to build a culture of effective data use in your school. A new video (coming soon)  provides an overview of the Self Assessment.