Activity Directions: Sources of Data

1. Schedule the leadership team to participate in this activity.

2. Print copies of the Handout: Sources of Data Resource for each member.

3. Print copies of the Data Sources in a Standards-based Education System Template for each member.

1. Ensure that all participants have the activity handouts.

2. As a team, review the Data Sources activity handout noting that the different types of data can be collected using a variety of methods. Each cell contains examples of sources of data. Remind participants that data sources are only valuable if they are collected and used for the purpose of making specific decisions.

3. Ask participants to share something that was validated or was new that they learned through the review of the handout.

4. .Give participants the opportunity to ask the group clarifying questions about data for a DSDS.

5. Reflecting on your organization’s DSDS, participants brainstorm data sources that are available and record them in the appropriate cell of the Data Sources Template handout. Participants also note sources of data that are not available but could be useful in making decisions.

6. As a large group, summarize the key takeaways regarding the DSDS. This understanding will be used to plan for the use of data to make decisions (such as in the Activity Directions: Planning for a Decision-Support Data System).