Modern-Day Soothsayers

A brief survey of public education in the United States over the past 25 years is sure to reveal the increasing importance of “data-driven” decision making.  Whether promoted from on high, or cultivated organically at the local level, accountability has become a key tenet of the financing behind public education and, thus, has induced greater attention towards data.  Yet, all too often this information is not well understood – and, for some, avoided at all costs!  As a result, those delegated to collect, manage, and interpret this information have become in the eyes of many modern-day soothsayers, entrusted to predict the fortunes and failures of education from a murky vessel of numbers.

This begs the question, in the midst of a global information revolution, how is it that data analysis has become for so many a nauseating assignment?  On an individual level, we make data-driven decision almost every day.  For example, suppose you’re driving home from work and need to fill you vehicle with gasoline.  You know you will pass two gas stations on your way home, Station A and Station B.  Station A typically sells their product at a cost of 3 – 4 cents higher per gallon than station B.  As such, you choose to stop and fill up at Station B.  Congratulations, you’ve just made a data-driven decision!

If data is to promote and inform accountability it must be well understood, and for data to be understood it must be simple – that is, accessible, palatable and, dare I say, fun.  So, as a part of a newly redesigned webpage for Nebraska Perkins accountability, we will be providing a weekly commentary on this blog entitled “The Perkins Pundit”.  Here, we intend to share tips, best practices, and all things splendid about the world that is Perkins data and accountability.  In doing so, it is our aim to demystify data and accountability, making it more valuable to Carl D. Perkins grant recipients across Nebraska.