Andrea Cortes, NCS Transformation Coach and Krys Payne, NCS Executive Director
February 13, 2025
The GRAD Partnership launched its 2025 Community of Practice Unlocking the Power of Data to Drive Student Success in January with Setting the Stage for Data Conversations. Hosted by the University of Chicago’s Network for College Success, this first session of the four-part learning series centered on creating and sustaining conditions that shift data conversations from accountability to transformation.
Data for accountability has been used to set goals, evaluate practices, and connect efforts to student outcomes. While essential, this approach leaves little room for reflection or flexibility. In contrast, data for transformation blends accountability with deeper reflection and inquiry into practices, guiding educators to examine and refine their strategies to better serve students – particularly those least reached. This approach fosters meaningful conversations that inspire growth, adaptability, and a stronger, more student-centered culture of improvement.
Transforming Data Conversations Through Protocols
To demonstrate the power of transformational data conversations, participants engaged in a modified version of the Center for Leadership & Educational Equity’s ATLAS protocol. The ATLAS is helpful in maintaining conditions for transformational data conversations because it slows down cognitive processing, ensuring teams don’t rush to conclusions about what actions to take. By intentionally pacing discussions, educators create space for curiosity, reflection, and collaboration—critical elements for making informed, student-centered decisions.
Before engaging in the protocol, a poll of session participants revealed that while 73% of participants discuss data at least monthly in staff, department, or grade-level meetings, many admitted to feeling less than enthusiastic when they even hear the word “data.”
To bring the conversation to life, participants analyzed mock student attendance, behavior, and course performance data. In small breakout groups, they generated observations, wonderings, and implications. As one participant noted, structuring the data discussion with a protocol helped in “creating the conditions to have a robust conversation rooted in data.”
Key Takeaways for Effective Data Conversations
Participants surfaced several insights about fostering productive data conversations:
- Use a protocol like ATLAS to create space for new and shared voices, particularly in groups with power imbalances.
- Ask, “What assumptions are you making or bringing about our students?” to uncover biases that may limit creative problem-solving.
- Prioritize observations before drawing conclusions. This prevents “solutionitis” and encourages deeper analysis before jumping to action steps.
The Right Data at the Right Time
Having the right data at the right time is one piece of the puzzle. Holistic, real-time and actionable data becomes truly powerful – transformational – when used under the right conditions, when teams engage in learning and improvement together.
For more insights on the four key components of student success systems, explore the GRAD Partnership’s collection of short briefs. And be sure to join all of the GRAD Partnership’s future Community of Practice sessions to continue learning with fellow educators committed to advancing student success!