The COVID 19 pandemic illuminates the role data has in public policy-making, i.e. datafication of society, and the importance of exploring the local sources of data to reveal errors in what has assuredly been from the beginning an undercount of cases and deaths. I note four interrelated error sources. The first two are common to any quantitative…

It is essential to save lives during emergencies not only in hospitals but also in colleges and universities. Failure to identify risks and take prompt action during catastrophes and emergency situations could result in the loss of life and property for the campus community. This research aims to explore the feasibility of using data analytics to…

This brief examines how state policies and practices continue to evolve in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is based on data provided by 45 states plus the District of Columbia as of early May 2022. The brief updates our 2021 report, "Are Students Present and Accounted For? An Examination of State Attendance Policies During the COVID-19…

Monitoring applications (MAs) use digital and online tools to collect and track data on student behavior, and they have become increasingly popular among schools. Empirical research on these complex surveillance platforms is scant, and little is known about the efficacy or impact that they have on students. This study used a multi-method…

Research administrators (RA) at institutions of higher education (IHE) provide critical support to faculty throughout the lifecycle of research, which include developing research, applying to funding opportunities, managing awards through closeout, and maintaining compliance. Fulfilling these tasks requires well-developed RA processes and clear…

Over recent decades, higher education infrastructures have become increasingly digitized and datafied. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated adoption of online learning platforms, trading the walls of the classroom for digital systems. Yet the surveillance, privacy, and discrimination issues that such systems raise are minimally understood by those…

Complete College America (CCA) is partnered with the National Student Clearinghouse in promoting the latter's Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP), a data and reporting tool for tracking student success metrics. The PDP is offered at nominal cost, built for democratized data access, and encompasses transfer data native to Clearinghouse products,…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oklahoma State University Library developed an open-source application to record real-time building capacity. Library student security tracks building entrances and exits via the program, with current visitor numbers appearing on the library's website via an API. This effort helps administrators have a…

Assessing students' performance in online learning could be executed not only by the traditional forms of summative assessments such as using essays, assignments, and a final exam, etc. but also by more formative assessment approaches such as interaction activities, forum posts, etc. However, it is difficult for teachers to monitor and assess…

In spring 2020, nearly all school districts across the nation transitioned to virtual education during extended school closures caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. K-12 education agencies pivoted to virtual education in a short amount of time with limited options available for developing a virtual education program. This…

When the COVID-19 pandemic drove schools online in March 2020, state education leaders were left without access to data needed to understand how best to support students. The pandemic revealed the strengths and limitations of state education data systems while inspiring new strategies for collecting, reporting and using data. In 2021, DataSmith…

Regular attendance is essential to providing students with opportunities to learn. State and local education agencies (SEAs and LEAs) play a crucial role in tracking, measuring, and addressing student attendance. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic affected the way that many SEAs and LEAs collect attendance data. This resource highlights…

During spring 2020, educators quickly adapted to providing interventions and collecting data virtually despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents were critical partners in supporting opportunities for students with intensive needs to data-based individualization (DBI) Process practice and receive feedback and sharing what was working…

In March 2020, the coronavirus pandemic and attending shift to remote schooling initiated a dramatic impact on student learning, an impact that state and district leaders feel a sense of urgency to understand and address. These leaders are accustomed using state and district test data to shed light on student achievement and growth. But without…

Implementing institution-wide, systemic change is typically a long and often challenging task for college leaders to undertake. Because each institution is different, the combination of internal and external factors that drive institutional change can vary greatly from college to college, and from moment to moment. Achieving the Dream (ATD), which…