Creating a Data-Informed Culture in Community Colleges

Creating a Data-Informed Culture in Community Colleges
Author: Brad C. Phillips
Publisher: Harvard Education Press
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2020-10-08
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1682531260

Brad C. Phillips and Jordan E. Horowitz offer a research-based model and actionable approach for using data strategically at community colleges to increase completion rates as well as other metrics linked to student success. They draw from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics to show how leaders and administrators can build good habits for engaging with data constructively. At the core of their approach is a strategic effort to help administrators and faculty identify leading indicators that they can affect and monitor before student failure occurs. The book also helps educators make better use of common sources of data, clarify problems to be solved, match research-based interventions to problems, and evaluate results. The authors incorporate strategies for college personnel to engage with data more effectively by integrating student stories into presentations and embedding these discussions into existing meetings and routines. Three case studies from Long Beach City College, Southwestern College, and Odessa College further illustrate how this approach was implemented as part of comprehensive reform efforts. Based on two decades of experience working with colleges across the country, Creating a Data-Informed Culture in Community Colleges promises to be a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation about information use in education to improve student outcomes.

Big Data on Campus

Big Data on Campus
Author: Karen L. Webber
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2020-11-03
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1421439034

Webber, Henry Y. Zheng, Ying Zhou

You Are a Data Person

You Are a Data Person
Author: Amelia Parnell
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 134
Release: 2023-07-03
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1000978699

Internal and external pressure continues to mount for college professionals to provide evidence of successful activities, programs, and services, which means that, going forward, nearly every campus professional will need to approach their work with a data-informed perspective.But you find yourself thinking “I am not a data person”.Yes, you are. Or can be with the help of Amelia Parnell.You Are a Data Person provides context for the levels at which you are currently comfortable using data, helps you identify both the areas where you should strengthen your knowledge and where you can use this knowledge in your particular university role.For example, the rising cost to deliver high-quality programs and services to students has pushed many institutions to reallocate resources to find efficiencies. Also, more institutions are intentionally connecting classroom and cocurricular learning experiences which, in some instances, requires an increased gathering of evidence that students have acquired certain skills and competencies. In addition to programs, services, and pedagogy, professionals are constantly monitoring the rates at which students are entering, remaining enrolled in, and leaving the institution, as those movements impact the institution’s financial position.From teaching professors to student affairs personnel and beyond, Parnell offers tangible examples of how professionals can make data contributions at their current and future knowledge level, and will even inspire readers to take the initiative to engage in data projects.The book includes a set of self-assessment questions and a companion set of action steps and available resources to help readers accept their identity as a data person. It also includes an annotated list of at least 20 indicators that any higher education professional can examine without sophisticated data analyses.

Data-Driven Decision Making in the Community College Context

Data-Driven Decision Making in the Community College Context
Author: Eliza Raquel Arata
Publisher:
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2019
Genre: Community colleges
ISBN:

This case study explored how data-driven decision making occurred within institutional planning activities at a California community college. The problem statement for this research was that the practice of data-driven decision making for program effectiveness within community colleges has not been clearly defined and understood within the literature. The research question asked, "What enables data-driven decision making within a variety of routine planning activities, including how do practitioners employ data-driven decision making and what processes are utilized in data-driven decision making?" This study utilized a descriptive case study methodology. A descriptive case study is an empirical inquiry that investigates a case in depth and within its real-world context (Yin, 2014). Using a combination of one-on-one interviews, document review, and observations, this study gathered data on organizational routines and processes, the people involved in planning, and the process and tools used within planning. Three major findings were that (a) data-driven decision making is enabled by organizational structure, dialogue, the availability of data reports, and support and guidance by institutional research professionals; (b) practitioners employ data-driven decision making by tracking various metrics, detecting barriers to goals, identifying needs, and adjusting practices accordingly; and (c) stakeholders within a college approach institutional planning with certain expectations and assumptions that reflect the college's broader culture. The findings indicated: (a) the design of the college's institutional planning structure and processes impacts how data-driven decision making is employed at a college; (b) stakeholders tend to form meaning together and dialogue about data is one avenue that facilitates the meaning-making process; (c) data collection is key, thus the research questions guiding data collection are also key; (d) the data-driven decision-making process includes using data to reach a decision as well as acting on or responding to the information or newly created knowledge; and (e) the practice of data-driven decision making is influenced by organizational culture. The recommendations suggest ways that community colleges, leaders, and practitioners can support or facilitate data-driven decision making within institutional planning activities.

Faculty Development

Faculty Development
Author: Farrell Hoy Jenab
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 155
Release: 2021-11-15
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1475859090

Faculty Development: Creating a Collaborative Culture in Community Colleges addresses how faculty developers work with changes and challenges in teaching within the community college context. Using a multi-case study design based on semi-structured interviews, document analysis, focus groups and surveys, the book examines faculty development within six community college contexts. Three of these case studies, conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic, attended to how the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) were pillars for faculty development. The other three case studies feature the pivot that faculty developers and faculty made at their institutions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In these cases, it is seen how faculty development shifts from long-term, sustained initiatives such as SOTL and FLCs to just-in-time (JiT) faculty development, as well as virtual and collaborative faculty development. As teaching models continue to evolve and faculty development takes hold in community colleges, this book features the role of collaboration as an essential component of faculty development, as well as what supports exist within the community college context to provide faculty with continual professional development.

Data Strategy in Colleges and Universities

Data Strategy in Colleges and Universities
Author: Kristina Powers
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 187
Release: 2019-10-16
Genre: Education
ISBN: 042979441X

This valuable resource helps institutional leaders understand and implement a data strategy at their college or university that maximizes benefits to all creators and users of data. Exploring key considerations necessary for coordination of fragmented resources and the development of an effective, cohesive data strategy, this book brings together professionals from different higher education experiences and perspectives, including academic, administration, institutional research, information technology, and student affairs. Focusing on critical elements of data strategy and governance, each chapter in Data Strategy in Colleges and Universities helps higher education leaders address a frustrating problem with much-needed solutions for fostering a collaborative, data-driven strategy.

Data Don't Drive

Data Don't Drive
Author: Alicia C. Dowd
Publisher:
Total Pages: 41
Release: 2005
Genre: Benchmarking (Management)
ISBN:

This report reviews the benchmarking practices that are presently being used at community colleges.

Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education during COVID-19

Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education during COVID-19
Author: Roy Y. Chan
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2021-08-12
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1000426815

This timely volume documents the immediate, global impacts of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on teaching and learning in higher education. Focusing on student and faculty experiences of online and distance education, the text provides reflections on novel initiatives, unexpected challenges, and lessons learned. Responding to the urgent need to better understand online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, this book investigates how the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) impacted students, faculty, and staff experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown. Chapters initially look at the challenges faced by universities and educators in their attempts to overcome the practical difficulties involved in developing effective online programming and pedagogy. The text then builds on these insights to highlight student experiences and consider issues of social connection and inequality. Finally, the volume looks forward to asking what lessons COVID-19 can offer for the future development of online and distance learning in higher education. This engaging volume will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in online teaching and eLearning, curriculum design, and more, specifically those involved with the digitalization of higher education. The text will also support further discussion and reflection around pedagogical transformation, international teaching and learning, and educational policy more broadly.

Narratives and Strategies of Effective Leadership in Community Colleges

Narratives and Strategies of Effective Leadership in Community Colleges
Author: Nacco, Stephen Damian
Publisher: IGI Global
Total Pages: 299
Release: 2024-04-29
Genre: Education
ISBN:

In American higher education, community colleges present new opportunities for many, embodying the democratic essence since their early roots. Originally conceived as junior colleges preparing students for university transfers, these institutions have undergone a transformative journey, evolving into the comprehensive, open-access pillars of education that define our present landscape. Despite a shared mission, a disparity exists among community colleges, with some rising to prominence as leaders in the community-college movement. Amidst the challenges posed by the two World Wars, economic fluctuations, and societal shifts, community colleges have adapted to serve diverse needs, encompassing workforce development, community education, and developmental studies. Narratives and Strategies of Effective Leadership in Community Colleges takes on the challenge faced by these institutions—maintaining excellence amid the evolving demands of a dynamic society. Narratives and Strategies of Effective Leadership in Community Colleges is a pivotal resource for higher-education practitioners navigating the complex realm of leadership challenges in community colleges. It portrays community colleges as national treasures in higher education. Beyond mere success stories, each chapter details the intricacies of effective leadership. Targeting governing boards, faculty, leaders, and administrators, the book provides invaluable insights into strategic planning, student support, campus revitalization, and financial management. It serves as a crucial guide for those aspiring to elevate their institutions.

A Case Study of the Perceptions of Faculty, Administrators, and Staff Regarding the Development of a "culture of Evidence" at Two Texas Community Colleges

A Case Study of the Perceptions of Faculty, Administrators, and Staff Regarding the Development of a
Author: Gregory F. Peterson
Publisher:
Total Pages: 570
Release: 2007
Genre:
ISBN:

In order to meet the educational and economic demands of the United States in the future, institutions of higher education must increase the number of students who persist to the completion of a certificate or degree program, especially low-income students and students of color (Carnivale and Desrochers, 2004). To increase the persistence and completion rates of these students at community colleges, national initiatives, such as the Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count initiative, have emphasized the importance of creating institutional environments in which planning and improvement efforts are data-driven (Achieving the Dream, 2005). This study explored the perceptions of faculty members, administrators, and staff directly involved in establishing this data-driven environment, also known as a "culture of evidence," and the extent to which those perceptions had disseminated through the larger college community. Through the use of a case study and focus groups using Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) methods, the development of a "culture of evidence" at two Texas community colleges was examined as perceived by college constituents involved in its creation and by a group of college constituents indirectly influenced by their efforts. The emerging themes are discussed in their relation to promoting and maintaining a data-driven culture in the future.