DeSoto ISD Superintendent D’Andre Weaver recently outlined plans for his district to improve educational equity for its students through the use of electronic dashboards that would chart both their performance and their needs, and how those equated to their level of success after graduation.
In an article co-authored with Economic Mobility Systems director Dr. Eric J. Ban, the pair discussed using a holistic approach to monitoring each student’s progress.
Weaver and Ban’s dashboard would use input from three parties — students, educators and administrators — and take into account the key roles that each played in the success of the student.
DeSoto students would set their individual college and career goals, and then gauge how close or how far they are to attaining those goals by providing consistent data about their acquired skills, credentials and currency, Weaver said.
Educators would provide a data map “developed against the DeSoto portrait of a graduate to include … attendance, academics, engagement in extra-curricular, career experiences, mental health and basic family needs,” Weaver and Ban said.
Members of the administration would “track progress across key district indicators in real time.“
Weaver and Ban say they hope to use data gathered through the dashboards to gain insights about how to support DeSoto students on their journeys through college, their career and life.
