ED 7900 Capstone Module 1 Discussion 1: Changes and Trends in Data

ED 7900 Capstone Module 1 Discussion 1: Changes and Trends in Data

As Fullan (2016) notes, change is not easy, even when it is sought. As an educational leader in your community, you may be familiar with the issues facing Grand City and recognize the need for change. Not unlike many 21st-century cities, it is growing, its economy is changing, and its early childhood and other educational programs must change to accommodate the diverse needs of the next generation. As the demographics have changed, key indicators such as test scores have declined. Mayor Keller won the election by campaigning to make changes in the schools and the community to reverse these trends.
The mayor has approached leaders in the community to join her in developing a plan to prepare the city for a newly competitive educational and economic landscape. In preparation for the first task force meeting, Mayor Keller has asked its members to gather and review data for Grand City, related to their specialized area. As you will see, the task force includes a variety of professionals from diverse economic, civic, early childhood, K–12 education, and other community programs. Before the task force can make recommendations, it must understand what is happening by analyzing data relevant to the schools and students.
For this Discussion, you will analyze the educational and demographic data of Grand City by taking on the role of a task force member from your own specialization. You will then consider the implications of that data on its programs, schools, and community.

To prepare:
• Read the Gonzalez-Shancho and Vincent-Lancrin (2016) and Mandinach et al. (2015) articles related to data collection and analysis in education. Reflect on the difficulty they describe regarding making data accessible to decision makers. With the volume of data available, how can users get the information they need without feeling overwhelmed by the volume of data available?
• Read the Mandinach et al. (2015) article regarding best practices and practices to avoid in the use of data. Are there other practices you would add to either list?
• Review the Fullan (2016) chapters for this module. Consider Fullan’s thoughts related to educational change and how, using the data and your role in the community, you might apply them to Grand City’s task force.
• In the City Hall location in Grand City, view the video of the mayor’s welcome to the education task force. The video includes introductions to several of Grand City’s stakeholders who are members of the task force.
• Review the Grand City demographic, community, and educational data, in City Hall in Grand City. From your perspective as an educational leader in the community—whether your expertise is in early childhood, K–12, administrator, educational technologist, or other specialist—consider what the important changes are over time in the data and trends that emerge. What trends are important for the task force to consider? What is the impact of the data on the Grand City community and its educational programs (both early childhood and K–12)?

Assignment Task Part 1
Post an 1 ½ page analysis of the Grand City data and information from Mayor Keller’s welcome from the perspective of your role in the community. In your analysis, be sure to explain:
• Changes over time within the data related to your specialization area
• Trends that emerge from the data, their impact on the Grand City community, and your specialization in particular
• Overall implications of the presented Grand City data and comments from Mayor Keller and the task force members on the community and its educational programs
• One concept from Fullan (2016) on educational change that you believe should be a key guiding principle for the task force moving forward. Support your explanation with specific reference to the data and your analysis.
For this Discussion, and all scholarly writing in this course, you will be required to use APA style and provide reference citations.

Assignment Task Part 2
Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts.
Respond to two or of your colleagues posts, and respond in any of the following ways In 150 word Responses :
• Expand on a colleague’s analysis of change over time, specifically from the perspective of your specialization expertise.
• Explain how a data trend identified by a colleague impacts your particular specialization as well.
• Support or refute a colleague’s selection of a guiding principle from the Fullan (2016) text.
• For this Discussion, and all scholarly writing in this course, you will be required to use APA style and provide reference citations.

Learning Resources
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1478210316649287
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1058943&site=eds-live&scope=site&authtype=shib&custid=s6527200
Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational change (5th ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
• Chapter 1, “A Brief History of Educational Change” (pp. 3–17)
• Chapter 2, “The Meaning of Educational Change” (pp. 18–38)

http://www.michaelfullan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/JSD-Power-of-Professional-Capital.pdf
https://www.waldenu.edu/about/who-we-are

http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general