Good intentions are necessary but not sufficient for moving the needle on postsecondary readiness and success in K-12 districts and schools. There are many conditions that should be present in a system to effectively deliver advising and help every student find their next, best step after high school graduation. Data, when it’s used well, is one of the most powerful levers for getting there for a school district.
Education Strategy Group’s new Building Better Outcomes: A District Playbook for Effective Postsecondary Data Practice offers a practical, district-centered guide to building a coherent, student-focused data ecosystem. This playbook sits squarely alongside both the recently-released definition of high-quality advising and the District Enabling Conditions Framework: leadership commitment, aligned infrastructure, and data-driven practice are all enabling conditions that allow students to receive advising that is personalized, equitable, and connected to real outcomes.
The playbook is tactical and practical, offering open-source tools for districts (and other organizations) to make use of, with clear instructions for facilitation. Examples of the tools included herein include:
- Self-Assessment now to determine strengths and areas for improvement in data leadership, infrastructure, and use.
- Priority Metrics with which to align strategic plans and “create a shared vision for student success that is measurable and actionable.”
- Sample Mission & Vision Statements and Strategic Priorities
- District Data Collection Template
- Goal Setting Calculator
Three Core Building Blocks
The playbook organizes effective postsecondary data practice into three mutually reinforcing components:
- Data Leadership: Postsecondary outcomes become a district priority when leaders put them at the center of strategy, resource allocation, and accountability. Without visible leadership, even the strongest infrastructure or data tools are unlikely to take root. (Examples from the Playbook include: Los Angeles USD, Jackson Public Schools, YouthForce NOLA)
- Data Infrastructure: Clean, connected, and consistently defined data makes it possible to turn vision into action. Infrastructure that integrates sources, ensures accuracy, and delivers the right information to the right users lays the groundwork for continuous improvement. (Examples: Metro Nashville Public Schools, Knox County Schools, Desert Sands USD)
- Data Use: Ultimately, data is most impactful when it informs practice and spurs change. Embedding postsecondary metrics into professional development, continuous improvement routines, and core advising programs ensures that the information shapes day-to-day decisions and student supports. (Examples: Hamilton County Schools, Beaufort County Schools, Chicago Public Schools)
Okay, So How Do I Actually Use This Thing?
ESG proposes four steps for districts wanting to turn the playbook into action:
- Step 1: Assemble a Team: The district should form a task force to elevate postsecondary and workforce success as a strategic priority. This task force will pull and analyze data on historical performance, set the district’s postsecondary and workforce strategy, organize workgroups to execute priorities, take charge of ongoing implementation, and convene external partners and stakeholders.
- Step 2: Take the Self-Assessment: Once the team is assembled, assess the district’s current postsecondary data practice via the self-assessment. Identify up to 10 team members to complete the self-assessment.
- Step 3: Review Your Results & Prioritize Next Steps: After the self-assessment, meet to discuss the results and align on priorities. You want to build your way up per the handy house infographic (i.e., start by improving Data Leadership, then Data Infrastructure, and then Data Use).
- Step 4: Discover Resources to Support Your Postsecondary Data Practice: Once your team has determined your district’s priorities, navigate to the corresponding section of the Playbook to see exemplar practices from other districts, step-by-step instructions for how to improve practice, and tools and resources to help you along the way.
Connecting to High-Quality Advising and Enabling Conditions
At NCAN, we subscribe to the vision of high-quality postsecondary advising as guidance that is student-centered, data-informed, and driven by promoting success for all students. The Building Better Outcomes playbook offers districts a roadmap to put those principles into action. Strong data leadership creates the conditions for advising to be prioritized. Robust infrastructure ensures that advisers, counselors, and school leaders have relevant, reliable, and recent information at their fingertips. Embedding data into everyday use means that practitioners can monitor progress, identify gaps, and adjust interventions in real time.
A Call to Action for Districts (and Anyone Else Who Can Stand to Be a Bit More Data-Driven)
The playbook isn’t just about numbers, and it isn’t about just a few people using data here and there. It’s about creating the enabling conditions that make it possible for districts to deliver on the promise of high-quality postsecondary advising for every student.
ESG developed Building Better Outcomes in consultation with districts nationwide, ensuring that the guidance is both practical and rooted in lived experience.
District leaders and practitioners who are serious about improving postsecondary outcomes should take a close look at the playbook and then, rather than just bookmarking it, forward it along to colleagues and set a time to take the self-assessment and advance the conversation about what’s working in terms of district-level data access and use and what needs a jumpstart. Building a culture of postsecondary data use is not easy work, but it is foundational to driving the advising that helps students succeed in college, career, and life.