K-12 Data Marts and Data Warehouses

First, some definitions

A data mart is a database that collects data together that is focused on a single subject area of inquiry, such as student performance data. Typically a data mart includes a database and a set if reports or report generation tools that allow viewing and analysis of the data. A student datamart archives student demographic and performance data, and has an easy-to-use front-end application that enables teachers to view, analyze and create reports of those data.

If you combined that with data from another area such has human resources, then you would have the beginnings of a data warehouse. Data warehouses are databases that collect together data from many disparate data sources into a unified system for the purpose of generating reports and monitoring the data. In K-12 education data warehouses are not widely used but they are used occasionally, especially in larger school districts.

The Products

What are some leading data warehouse products in this space?

• E-Scholar
• Tetradata

Compare that list to the list of products with data marts:

• Confluent Technologies
• CTB-McGraw Hill
• Data Director
• Datawise
• Edgenuity
• Edmin.com
• Edusoft
• Escholar
• ETS- Pulliam
• Maximus
• Pearson Inform
• Performance Matters
• Performance Pathways
• SAS
• Scantron
• Schoolcity
• Schoolnet
• Tetradata
• Turnleaf
• VIP Tone

Why are there so many data marts and so few data warehouses?

One reason why data marts proliferate is that they are so much easier to create. In the school environment gathering several years of data from across several different IT systems can be difficult to achieve. Also, data warehouses are generally not geared for use by classroom teachers.

What about commercial tools?

Commercial tools such as those provided with Microsoft SQL Server are in widespread use. However, some other tools like Cognos have had trouble getting traction in the school market. One problem for Cognos is that it has a steep learning curve and schools often turnover staff frequently. So by the time staff is up to speed, they may be gone and someone new appears that needs training before they can get started.

School Technology Overview

School CIOs or CTOs need to grapple with a blend of archiac software packages, dilapidated infrastructure, limited staff, and ever increasing demands.

Here are some of the major systems that are typically found in school districts today:

• Student information systems
• Auto-dialer for voice messages to parents
  
• Assessment tools
• Special Education system
• Reporting tools
• Grade book
• Student / Parent portal
  

Manage district systems infrastructure

• Desktop computers
• Intranet, Content Management system for publishing on the intranet
  
• Network infrastructure, Telephone systems, voice over IP
• Finance, HR Accounting packages
• eRate and other creative funding schemes
  

Assessment Tools for Schools

What is an assessment tool?

An Assessment Tool facilitates the administration of local assessments. Students take the assessment with pencil and paper or, in some cases, on-line. Paper answer sheets are scored using a simple scanner. Test data are quickly available for review. While some vendors also sell test item banks or complete tests, only products that are content neutral are included in this list.

Here are some of the currently popular assessment tools:

• Bookette
• CTB-McGraw Hill
• Data Director
• Datawise
• Edusoft
• ETS- Pulliam
• Maximus
• PCPal
• Pearson Inform
• Performance Matters
• Performance Pathways
• Scantron
• Schoolcity
• Schoolnet
• VIP Tone

K12 School Accountability Resources

Doug Reeves provides a framework for promoting accountability within schools. It is a variation of a strategic planning model where the top level of planning (Tier 1) is driven by external factors such as state and federal requirements as well as board level requirements. The next level of planning (Tier 2) is at the building level which includes schools and departments. When developing indicators, the approach is to describe them in terms of expected or target outcomes. The final level of planning includes periodic reporting on the selected indicators

For more information, see this website:

Publications:
Douglas B. Reeves, Holistic Accountability
Douglas B. Reeves, Accountability in Action

Project Management Tools for Schools

It is really hard to find project management tools geared for the education space, whether it is higher education or K-12 school districts. So many tools on the market are geared towards technicians. Educators have different needs and some of the more technical project management tools are not going to be a good fit into the schools marketplace. The main problem with any of these tools is usability and user acceptance. There are a hundred tools in the marketplace and yet it is hard to find a tool that fits into the day to day life for busy professionals.

What if I am not a project manager?

Let's face it, everyone has work to take care of. And not everyone is "the" project manager on a project. At the same time, to be blunt, the existing tools that are out there suck. Who really wants to use MS Project? Yet, it would be great if there is an online tool that is straightforward to use for my own purposes, but also allows reporting the work out to clients, the boss, or customers, and sharing the work with peers. So given all this, what are the key features to look for in an online project management tool?

What to look for:

• Easy to use, not clunky. If it is clunky you will never come back.
  
• I can quickly write down the tasks I need to perform
  
• I can quickly update the status of my items
• Ability to track issues, not just tasks. Resolving issues is at the core of project management.
  
• Ability to track "my own stuff". Frequently one needs to track business specific things and not just tasks. Can the tool support this by allowing customized categories for items?
  
• Ability to share the work with other team members.
  
• Internet access
• Email support
• Ability to define start and end dates
• Ability to set due dates
• Ability to assign roles and responsibilities
• Ability to discuss specific items within a team
  

Product Listing

Hosted, Free Tools:

SchoolMeasures - This product from ViKiwi allows quickly setting up projects and makes it really easy to get started tracking work to be done. It works well either as a personal tool or for small teams.

Open Source, Requires Hosting

dotProject - This one is interesting because it is not company driven, appears to be more community base. Too bad it isn't hosted anywhere. No idea how good it might be.

Hosted Tools, Not Free

Ace Project - Everything but the kitchen sink. Pretty elaborate.

ActiveCollab - This product was initially open source but it has since been closed. This was a knock-off of basecamp but is not tracking to all the latest features in basecamp.

Basecamp - This product was an early leader in this space and is widely known. They say that familiarity breeds contempt; it is also widely maligned. Other tools probably have not faced the same level of scrutiny as basecamp. Find details here and another here.

Desktop Tools, Not Free

Microsoft Project - Basically no one is willing to use this except an elite sadistic few. Great for large projects. But no one really uses one tenth of the full feature set.