Right, Senior Data Analyst Nichole McCollum works with Germantown CSD.
With the rise of data-driven instruction and an upsurge of demands on state-mandated reporting, Questar III’s Data Analysis service has become increasingly important in recent years. This service not only helps districts meet state requirements; it also improves curriculum and instruction through assessment analysis and support for district office staff.
“With the ever-increasing amount of data districts have to collect, report, and verify, the Questar III data analysts offer a knowledgeable and resourceful option for districts to ensure not only high quality data but also provide the tools to utilize that information in its most effective and productive manner,” says Questar III Chief Information Officer Jeff Baker.
Data analysts provide direct support for Chief Information Officers. They are essential for major state-required data reports such as BEDS (Basic Educational Data System) and ePMF (electronic Personnel Master File), and they can manage districts’ Data Warehouses. They act as liaisons between the district and NYSED, NERIC, or anyone who requests data for analysis. They are experts in a number of data management programs, and provide assistance to teachers and administrators to make the best use of these programs.
Data analysts also identify trends in assessments that can help teachers and administrators identify what supports students might need. They can help develop SLOs (Student Learning Objectives) to meet the demands of the Regents Reform Agenda. They analyze graduation, drop-out, and diploma type data. They often coordinate a district’s verification process with Teacher Student Data Linkage and Teacher Student Rosters. With a wealth of experience and deep knowledge of requirements and methods, data analysts are able to lead professional development on an individual level or on a group level.
Nichole McCollum is a senior data analyst with Questar III. McCollum’s role is essential for meeting state requirements, but everything that she does is for the overall purpose of improving student success. “There’s a lot of anxiety right now with all the changes that have been made to the system,” she says. “My role is to explain these changes to teachers and help support them through that transition. A teacher’s focus needs to be on working with students and improving achievement. They don’t need to worry about all of these added burdens. That’s why I’m here—to support them with those extra requirements.”
One of the three districts that McCollum works with is Germantown Central School District. Superintendent Sue Brown says that her district has benefited greatly from the service. “Not only does Nichole have a wonderful rapport with the teachers and work with them to meet requirements, but we have also expanded what she does to include assistance with SLOs, specifically with eDoctrina software and our eSchoolData database,” she says. “When we have needs, she understands what the needs are. For instance, we’re designing elementary school report cards. Nichole, having a vast knowledge of how that program works, helps us verbalize what it is that we want, and then she works with NERIC, which is a huge support to the users of technology. We’ve really expanded what she does.”
The role of a data analyst varies significantly from district to district. Some districts may need more data collection and management, while others need more professional development. Superintendent Angelina Maloney, of Brunswick Central School District, says that the service offers teachers valuable insight about students. “We use the service to assist us in organizing and analyzing our data so that our administrators can steer the educational program in the right direction, but also to put meaningful data about students and curriculum in the hands of our teaching staff,” she says.
Administrators at Questar III are happy to help districts figure out how the data analysis service can benefit their district. If you have questions about the Data Analysis service, please contact Jeff Baker at 518-479-6851 or Jeff.Baker@questar.org.
