Data 101: An Introduction to Data Usage at GSB

   "Data" is a very current technology buzzword.  It has to do with the increasing use of computers and related technologies to track and record behaviors and activities of almost anything, from weather trends to an individual's shopping patterns. When large data sets are aggregated and analyzed, the term "Big Data" comes into play. And in a more pedestrian way, data is the archival record of information that is accessible in a variety of ways to users.  
   At GSB, we've made a giant leap into data management over the last several years in ways that are not especially apparent to most of our community.  That's why I thought I 'd use this post to discuss data use at GSB.
   Any discussion of data use at GSB should begin with Blackbaud.  Blackbaud is our school's database.  It is actually composed of several interconnected parts: Education Edge, Financial Edge, Raiser's Edge and Admission Edge. Each component part serves particular functions.  Education Edge houses the academic records of our students. When middle and upper school faculty use FAWeb to enter grades for students, ultimately that course grade information finds its way to EE as a grade record for students. Transcripts are generated from EE.  
   In like ways, Financial Edge, Raiser's Edge and Admission Edge are utilized by the Business Office, the Development Office and the Admission Office.  Biographical family information is shared across platforms, but each platform has unique data fields to serve users.
    KnightSite is built upon another data set and serves as a database as well.  It is also a perfect illustration of how data moves from database to database.  Data managers talk about migrating data.  This is the science (and in no small way, the art) of culling data from one source and moving it to another database.  When KnightSite classes are annually populated with the classes and rosters for the current school year, that information must first be queried from Education Edge, put into a proper file format and then imported into Whipple Hill's KnightSite.
    Destiny is our library's database of its inventory. It's a fully searchable database by GSB users to see what's in our collection. Destiny can be used to reserve or take out materials.
     Middle School readers are very familiar with AR, Accelerated Reader.  The site students log into is actually a database of books and related quizzes.
   We've created a database in recent years that's hosted by the Honeywell Instant Alert group.  Populating fields with user names, phone numbers and emails, we can now use this database to notify our school community of any emergency notification. When that call comes letting you know there's a delayed opening due to weather conditions, a database has made that call possible.
   Upper School students and their families are familiar with Naviance, a database that has been created specifically to serve the needs of college-bound students.  Through Naviance, a large amount of college-search and college-admission data can be organized.
    All of these databases are actively managed by people at GSB.  But there is a whole other set of databases utilized widely by GSB students and faculty. These subscription databases, over twenty in all,  are manged by our library and are closely tied to curricular needs. Some examples include the American Memory (database from the Library of Congress), eLibrary (access to newspapers, magazines, maps and TV/radio transcripts), Image Quest (2 million images from specialized collections, all rights-cleared for educational use) and the Historical NY Times (every page of every issue). Access to these databases is available on the KnightFiles page of KnightSite.
   In ways obvious and less apparent, GSB is managing and utilizing data in administrative and curricular ways. Not so long ago, hardly anyone in education gave "data" a second thought. Now, it's become a crucial part of our school's operation.