Moving from good to great: The evolution of learning information systems in Milford School District (Delaware)

School reform literature is rife with references to "data-driven decision-making," but the reality is that few schools have the data they need for data-driven decision-making to be meaningful. For most schools the problem is that they only have information that is too little and too late to make any impact. Milford School District of Delaware has worked hard to overcome this problem. Over the past several years this district has continually added information systems targeted at instruction to the point that the district now has an extensive body of information on student progress which is easily accessible and virtually real-time.; This paper examines the Milford School District's use of "learning information systems" to support data-driven decision-making and makes recommendations to strengthen our capacity and culture in this area. The primary focus is on learning information systems produced by Renaissance Learning, Inc. including Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, and StandardsMaster. I present best practice criteria for implementing and using information systems and analyze Milford School District's systems in relation to these criteria. This analysis and my recommendations are based on current literature, surveys, and interviews. Finally, this paper recommends how the district can improve the use of these information systems. These recommendations include both program-specific and broader systemic and cultural recommendations.