Provoking Action Through Analytics and the Action Analytics Partnership

A Gilfus Education Group Presentation

Donald M. Norris, Ph.D.President

Strategic Initiatives, Inc.

Why Action Analytics?

• Need to reverse the decline in national competitiveness;

• Promoting accountability, focusing on outcomes across PK-20, and linking learning and workforce development;

• Improving learner access, affordability, and success;

• Need to lift out of recession and rediscover financial sustainability for the new normal; and

• Need to reimagine higher education, post recession.

What is the Action Analyticsin Education Partnership?

• Capella University, the Shank Institute, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Strategic Initiatives, Inc.;

• First National Symposium in Action Analytics – September 2009;

• Second National Symposium in Action Analytics;

• Funding by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Capella University and MnSCU, cost sharing from Strategic Initiatives and edu1world; and

• Establishment of Public Forum on Action Analytics and Action Analytics Community of Practice on edu1world

Action Analytics in Practice

• Capella University - Predictive Modeling and Learning Outcome Management ;

• Purdue University – Signals Project, Course Interventions;

• Community Colleges adapting to 20-30% growth on level or declining resources;

• Medical College of South Carolina – Research Productivity and Grants Management;

• University of Maryland System – System-wide Efficiency Initiative, including selective course reinvention (NCAT); and;

• State-level PK-20 longitudinal data initiatives, Race to the Top reinventions to win new resources.

What is our National Agenda on Action Analytics?

• Develop new mindsets about accountability and effectiveness, a fresh vision for reimagining higher education for the new normal; and changing organizational culture and behaviors;

• Advance the state analytics tools, practices, and skills; deploying Web 2.0 and social networking capabilities;

• Craft effective policies for data sharing and comparison; student access, affordability and success; financial sustainability; and

• Improve data quality, reliability, availability, and transparency, plus our capacity to share.

What is our National Agenda on Action Analytics?

• Mind set

• Tool set

• Skill set

• Practice set

• Policy set

• Culture set

What Are the First Elements ofour Action Analytics Initiative?

• Public Forum on Action Analytics– “Go to” resource bring vendors and practitioners together– Previously unobtainable information on “who is doing what and with

whom” and “what works” in context

• Community of Practice on Action Analytics– Define what Action Analytics is in practice– Develop a vibrant community of practice– Repository of resources on “what works,” develop an “insight mart”– Observatory of new, emerging competences

• Minnesota Analytics– Collaboration between Capella University, MnSCU, University of

Minnesota and other institutions to share and cross-license practices– Model for state-level collaborations

Come Talk About Joining the Community of Practice

• Agree to incrementally build a case study and keep it current

• Engage in conversations to help identify best practice

• Collaborate on new products and practices

• Develop the community