The data that school administrators collect is valuable, but they often end up storing it – literally. The accountability and assessment movements are pushing schools to take the data out of drawers however, and put it out in the open. Some schools are going a step further by creating school data rooms where teachers can view student information in an organized and easily accessible way.

Walls of color-coded sticky notes cover the walls at Gilliard Elementary School in http://www.dataroomdata.com/the-process-of-document-management-in-education/ Mobile, Alabama. The notes provide teachers with the information about how their students are doing in math and reading standards, as well as their attendance and discipline records.

The aim is to help teachers in identifying the needs of students, before they get out of hand. If a child is not meeting his or their reading goals, the teacher can offer extra instruction or work with them outside of school. If a child is having an issue with their behavior, the teacher can refer them to counseling or even remove that child from class.

In addition, by putting data in the forefront teachers can also celebrate the progress of their students, which is a crucial part of Baker’s strategy. In the spring of 2013 one of the students who was homeless proudly announced that he had reached his reading goal.

Before making the leap into a school data room, be sure you can protect student privacy and follow FERPA guidelines. This is especially true for displays of classroom data, where sensitive information like counseling sessions and disciplinary decisions can be accidentally exposed.