Discussion Overview In this discussion, you will analyze the data that can be us

Discussion Overview
In this discussion, you will analyze the data that can be used to determine whether or not the mission or vision statement of your school or organization is being accomplished and what approaches could be taken to address gaps in learning outcomes.
What You Need to Know
The mandate that schools and organizations be accountable for learning outcomes means that collecting, analyzing, and discussing data has become more important than ever for making effective decisions. This week, you explore how school and organization leaders and teachers/trainers can utilize data to make informed decisions on implementing effective curriculum models and instructional practices to improve students’/trainees’ performance.
Data-Driven Decision-Making
Gullo, D. (2013). Improving instructional practices, policies, and student outcomes for early childhood language and literacy through data-driven decision making. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(6), 413–421.
This article addresses the following questions: (1) Why do data need to be collected? (2) What kinds of data need to be collected? (3) How are the data collected? (4) How are the data used for making decisions? Responses to these questions serve as tenets for guiding the decision-making process.
DeJear, M. L., Jr., Chen, Y., Baber, L. D., & Li, R. (2018). Perceptions of data-driven decision making on student success: A study of culture, collaboration, and advocacy among community college leaders. Community College Enterprise, 24(1), 41–59.
In this quantitative study, the authors survey the perceptions of community college leaders on data-driven decision-making and the implications of the results for future policy and research.
What Works Clearinghouse. (n.d.). Find what works. Retrieved from: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/FWW/Index
The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) “reviews the existing research on different programs, products, practices, and policies in education. Our goal is to provide educators with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions.” Explore this resource for material that is relevant to your school or organization.
Write Your Discussion Post
After reading the materials for this week, reflect on and respond to the following.
Write out your school/organization’s mission statement (or vision, goals), and discuss whether or not the mission or goals are being accomplished by addressing the following points:
What data or evidence have been gathered in your school/organization that can be used for data analysis to determine whether or not the mission or goals are being accomplished?
What data or evidence have not been collected but can be used for determining whether or not the mission is being accomplished?
If a gap or problem exists in student learning outcomes, what intervention or action plan should be taken in order to mitigate the problem and improve student performance? (You may look for some research-based solutions/interventions on the What Works Clearinghouse website, Find What Works.)
Mission and Vision Statements
Our mission is:
1. BUILD an empowered and inclusive community of students, parents, and educators,
2. ENGAGE the whole child—intellectually, social-emotionally, and physically,
3. HELP all students to know themselves and to be known well by their community,
4. CHALLENGE each student to take an active role as an informed citizen in a global society, and
5. COLLABORATE with the larger community to advocate for student-centered schools.
Our Vision Statement:
Our vision is to be a dynamic learning community where scholars become life-long learners, develop self-knowledge, and are challenged to excel.
From the mission statements and vision statement above, there are various things that I find practical and others that I believe are lacking. One of the things that I find practical about the mission statements is building an empowered community that is inclusive of educators, parents, and students. This is an achievable phenomenon, and some statistics support the many ways in which it can be achieved. Bringing all these people together is the first step towards ensuring empowerment. Empowering this group is not only suitable for an organization but also so the community. Another aspect that I find practical is collaboration with the community to ensure advocation for student-centered schools. Student-centered schools, in this case, imply that the schools will be solely used for addressing the needs of the various students. This will help in boosting the community in various aspects. This collaboration is practical as it only takes proper and lengthy discussion with the students and other community members. On the contrary, there is an aspect that I believe is lacking in the vision statement. The vision statement does not outline how the vision itself will be accomplished. This is the only aspect that is lacking.