Schools gather a wealth of data in their everyday operation, everything from attendance information, academic achievement, library book loans, free school meals and a wide range of other data. We use this data regularly however I think we are missing out on many opportunities which this wealth of data might provide.
The key for me lies in statistical analysis of the data looking for correlations. Is there a link between the amount of reading a student does as measured by the number of library loans and their academic performance for example? Are there any indicators which might help is in identifying students who are more likely to under perform?
The issue here is how the data is stored. A large amount of the data is stored in tables within our school management system however no easy way exists in order to pull different data together in order to search for correlations. I can pull out data showing which students have done well, which subjects students perform well in, etc. however I can’t easily cross link this with other information such as the distance the student travels to school or their month of birth. Some of the data may exist in separate systems such as a separate library management system, print management system and catering system. This makes it even more difficult to pull data together.
A further issue is that the data in its raw format may not make it easy for correlations to be identified. Their postcode for example is not that useful in identifying correlations however if we convert this to a distance from the school we have a better chance of identifying a correlation.
In schools we continue to be sat on an iceberg worth of data although all we can perceive is that which lies above the water. We perceive a limited set of possibilities in terms of what we can do with the data. Analysing it in terms of pupil performance against baselines with filtering possible my gender, SEN status and a few other flags however given the wealth of data we have this is just the start of what is possible. We just need to be able to look below the water as the potential to use the data better and more frequently is there, and in doing so we may be able to identify better approaches and more effective early interventions to assure the students in our care achieve the best possible outcomes.
Technology and Learning