While the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has demonstrated a commitment to improved use of data across the board, the ARRA-funded Investing in Innovation (i3) grant program is by far the greatest encouragement ED has supplied for schools to make better use of this data and to share it with local non-profits and other community-based organizations. While most grant programs favor applicants with evidence, i3 formally requires it for an application to even be considered. This $650 million program will be disbursing funds within the next six months in amounts varying from $5 to $50 million, determined almost entirely by the evidence-based impact of the applying entities. Overall, i3 is intended to help determine and scale-up the most demonstrably effective practices in improving student achievement and attainment, including college success and a reduced achievement gap.

But many schools, even those already equipped with the best data, will not come out on top in this competitive grant process. Collaboration between schools and other agencies will be critical to the success of an application and to the success of the i3 program as a whole. Even something as basic as sharing information between agencies can present an incredible point of failure for the most well-intentioned attempts to improve outcomes for kids. Regular access to good data for all stakeholders is essential to identify gaps and avoid duplication of services, to understand broader trends in the school and community, and to maximize cumulative gains in the outcomes.

Wings for Kids is a unique after school program that serves K-5 students in South Carolina and that has been nationally recognized not merely as ‘good’ but as ‘best practice’ by organizations including the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the Academy of Educational Development. Additionally, it has been highlighted for its excellence by Scholastic magazine, the South Carolina Association of Nonprofits, and numerous other state and national journals and groups.

In 2009, no fewer than 92% of students at Memminger Elementary showed academic improvement on standardized math and reading tests, and no fewer than 87% of students at Chicora School of Communications demonstrated the same. Wings for Kids has since expanded its service to include support to a third school, and we’re looking forward to seeing continued improvement in outcomes and achievement from the great work they’re doing.

Wings for Kids has been using Efforts to Outcomes (ETO™) software since 2007; in addition to helping Wings for Kids manage their performance, the outcomes software has facilitated data input, reduced training time and increased staff retention, allowing Wings for Kids to focus more effectively on making a difference in the lives of the students they serve. 

Social Solutions is the vendor of choice for several Educational Service Districts and Office of Educational Technical Assistance programs; ETO software allows them to track the training and performance of teachers, to identify persistently low-performing individuals and programs and act accordingly. ETO can also track outcomes at the student, the school, or even the community level; the Family League of Baltimore City, for instance, utilizes ETO to manage 117 After School and 90 Community Schools programs, integrate data on in-school and out-of-school programs to attain a holistic view of each student, and better understand the replicable variables that determine success.

The trend towards performance management in ED and across the country can only continue to grow as programs like i3 take effect and the power of collaborative data use is brought to scale. The failure to effectively use data to demonstrate improvement can have devastating consequences, as was seen this past February in Rhode Island. An entire teaching staff of 88 was fired when the school failed to make adequate yearly progress for the sixth year in a row. While the staff and faculty undoubtedly worked very hard to improve outcomes for their students, hard work and good intentions are often not enough. Collaboration with local service providers for academic and non-academic enrichment, as well as a strategic approach to use of data and improving outcomes is required to affect the positive social change everyone wants for their community’s children and youth.

ETO™ is a trademark of Social Solutions, Global, Inc. Harlem Children's Zone® and HCZ® are registered trademarks of HCZ, Inc.