West Aurora looking to data to tell how school district’s doing

Matt Brennan:

The West Aurora School District is looking at options about what data to collect on student achievement and district performance and quality, and what can be done with that data. District officials say they are looking to create a “dashboard” that will give them a general idea of progress, both on an individual level with students, and on a broader scope of trends.

“It’s like you’re driving a car down the road and looking at all the various things,” West Aurora Superintendent Jim Rydland said. “This tells you how your vehicle is running.”

The School Board last week heard a presentation from Barb Vlasvich, the district’s director of assessment. The presentation covered the importance of being able to monitor this data, and what questions should possibly be asked for the 2011-12 school year.