So many times, we are on committees or in meetings but don’t know what the process is or how to fully participate, especially when it comes to data. This workshop will introduce you to the ways in which groups use data to make decisions. It will also help you to understand where data comes from and outline the basic stages of using data. This introductory webinar on data is based on the Serving on Groups that Make Decisions Guidebook resource.

The highlight of the revised Guidebook is a section entitled Understanding Data as Information. We live in a world with more available data than ever before. In education, using data is a powerful tool to determine if schools’ efforts are working and if students are meeting their goals. This section provides eight steps to assist you and other group members in making well-informed data-based decisions to improve the experiences of children. It also contains numerous resources for you to access and explore relevant data for your family and community.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn about different types and sources of reliable data and how they are used in decision-making groups.
• Participants with learn about the 8 stages of Data Use and how to apply them.
• Participants will gain access to a helpful Tool for Using Data effectively with a group.

Presenter: Jan Serak is the Director of Serak Consulting Services, LLC, where she contracts with nonprofit organizations to provide Board training, interim nonprofit management, curriculum development, and other services. Prior to her retirement, she was the founder and CEO of WI FACETS. She was a founder and the Parent Partner of the WI Special Education Mediation System. Jan has served on many Boards, including National PLACE, Autism Society of America; Autism Society of SE WI and Autism Society of WI; the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE). She also served on the WI State Superintendent’s Council on Exceptional Education, WI Governor’s Read to Lead Task Force, OSEP State Advisory Panel, Quality Education Coalition, and the National Center for Deaf-Blindness Advisory Board. Jan received her M.A. in Educational Psychology and Dispute Resolution from Marquette University. She is the parent of two adult sons, one of whom has autism.