Allison Harris

Future Google Certified Innovator

How might we...

Design systems for special educators to easily and seamlessly collect and utilize various sources of data to support student outcomes?

Let's help educators create a cohesive "photo album" of student data, rather than viewing isolated snapshots.

Special education teachers collect a lot of data!

Screening and Progress Monitoring

IEP Progress Reports

State Testing

Student and Educator Growth Plans

Picture this...

Molly

Molly is a dedicated teacher who wants a streamlined way to meet assessment requirements because she values efficiency.

Molly has been a special education teacher for 15 years and has students with very diverse needs ranging from learning disabilities to autism to Down syndrome. She works hard to make sure she takes data on each goal on a weekly basis, but when it’s time to report on the goals, she opens up her bulging paper binder and her heart starts pounding. Then she hears from her administrator that she needs to use a new online progress monitoring system. Molly adds that assessment on top of her paper tracking system because she doesn’t see the connection. At the end of the year when Molly updates her student and educator growth plans, she finds that despite the vast amount of data she has collected over the year, she doesn’t have the right information to report on her growth goals. Molly feels frustrated, but knows there is probably a better way.

There IS a better way!

Educators utilize a variety of data collection tools to meet their students’ diverse needs. The current solutions are lacking integration and a “big picture” vision. This leads teachers to view data points individually, miss connections between data, and feel frustrated with the huge amount of work involved.

Some teachers are missing the “why” of data collection and view it as a burdensome requirement. Other teachers do understand the why, yet are overwhelmed with the frequency of data collection as well as the numerous systems which must be utilized to meet each student's needs.

Additionally, in my school district we have a brilliant transition department working on resources to empower students and families in developing a vision for a good life, but it is an underutilized resource. I believe that if we can create systems to address teacher pain points and create connections between the work of the transition department and student data, we will see increased student outcomes and decreased teacher frustration.

Creating a Curated "Photo Album" of Data

All too often I find myself supporting frustrated and overwhelmed educators with huge amounts of disorganized data. Many times they view each data "requirement" as a disjointed and cumbersome burden, when in reality all of the pieces can work together smoothly to support the larger goal of student success.

When educators can see the connections between student IEP goals, student life goals, required assessments, and growth plans, they will be able to make strategic decisions and we will be able to see more success. I am excited to develop systems to help educators see these connections and develop cohesive "photo albums" of student data to help all students achieve their vision of a good life.

Application Video

Who am I?

I'm Allison Harris, a Measurement & Assessment Coach with Special School District of St. Louis County. I support thousands of staff members (teachers, paraprofessionals, related service providers, school psychologists, and administrators) with student data. These educators provide services to 23,000+ special education students. I am excited about supporting educators, students, and families to ensure all students meet their vision of a good life.

In the K-12 education world we are data rich, yet information poor. I try to change this on a daily basis by analyzing vast amounts of student data to find the story and create compelling visualizations. I provide coaching to data team leaders on how they can best collect, share, and utilize student data to ensure all students meet their goals. When the word "data" is uttered, I often see faces recoil, but I am excited about shifting mindsets and helping educators create data collection systems that "spark joy" and lead to positive student outcomes!

My passion is helping special education students live a self-determined life. Though this passion may seem disconnected from the challenge I’m submitting, stick with me. Special education teachers are expected to collect significant amounts of student data and often these data points all exist in isolation of one another. My dream is to create a system that helps shift mindsets from simply fulfilling data collection requirements to using student data to support positive life trajectories. I want to empower educators to learn from students and families about their specific vision for a good life and then ensure that all of the student’s goals and data are aligned towards that vision. As a Google Certified Innovator, I will devote time to seeking input from stakeholders to create a user-friendly system data collection system which will lead to a decrease in teacher frustration and an increase in student outcomes.

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