Welcome to the series on data-based decision making in ECE! We’re looking at how data and analysis coupled with our own professional intuition and insight can inform better decision making in early childhood education.
Data based decision making is simply leveraging data such as parent feedback, ECE market trends, educator and services’ performance, and financials to guide the process of making decisions. So it may be no surprise that recently, we’re seeing more and more high quality services expect analysis, interpretation, and decision making based upon data, to be a routine part of their continuous quality improvement organisation-wide.
Whether you’re used to delving into business intelligence or dipping your toes into data for the first time, we expect this series will have some insights you’ll find valuable. Just like we create psychologically safe environments for children to learn and ask questions, our hope is to do the same here – so join us in this series to find out more!
In part one, let’s explore the question, ‘What are the benefits of data-based decision making in ECE?’
Act on trends and patterns with a view to the bigger picture
As educators and leaders get stuck into the day-to-day of maximising positive outcomes for children, long term patterns may not be easily apparent. With a good data source, you can understand and track trends over months and even years. This can be an asset for operations as you seek to understand enrolment and staff retention trends as well as pedagogical leaders seeking to develop a longer term understanding of family engagement and outcomes for children.
Well informed, strategic planning
Data-based decision making (DBDM) promotes collaboration by creating a shared understanding across leadership teams as they reference the same information. We’ve found this encourages a communal commitment to both tracking and achieving the same goals across the organisation.
For example, organisations with a commitment to educator wellbeing may want all regional or area managers to be able to assess whether staff clock off on time or end up working after hours. Data can help leaders to track towards educator wellbeing goals and make adjustments to strategic plans that can be tracked long term – think months or years!
Greater accountability for educational outcomes
Organisations can increase accountability and transparency by demonstrating the impact of teaching and programs to stakeholders across an organisation via data in hand. This can result in organisations ensuring that resources are allocated effectively to address services or areas in need of extra support. Whether that’s increased professional development, training or starting meaningful conversations with educators based on what the data is showing.
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