Creating coherent systems of data collection and analysis : a case study in the collection, analysis, and use of client feedback data at Expeditionary Learning

Abstract

Mission-driven organizations that want to remain innovative and continue to grow their share in the education sector need to embrace change, seize opportunities for improvement, and commit themselves to consistent and continual learning and growth. Such a commitment to improvement and to consistent and continual learning relies on the development of coherent, unified systems to collect, analyze, use, and respond to data coming from multiple facets of the organization. This capstone explores how one organization, Expeditionary Learning (EL), desiring to become a more data-driven organization, sought to strengthen its data collection and analysis mechanisms, specifically focusing on feedback and satisfaction data from its clients. Expeditionary Learning is experiencing a period of tremendous growth and change marked by new opportunities to pursue and refine mission-aligned business. With this growth, comes a need to systematize and organize many aspects of the organization, including structures and processes for collecting, analyzing, and responding to data regarding client experiences and client satisfaction. As the majority of EL’s work is client facing, gathering data from these clients with regards to their experiences with EL is crucial to ensuring needs of clients are met and ultimate outcomes of impacting teacher practice and student achievement are reached. This capstone begins with a historical and contextual background of Expeditionary Learning and places this particular strategic project within that context. Next, literature is examined related to improvement processes, customer satisfaction, and implementing organizational change, providing a rich research base from which the project and its implementation was conceptualized. The project work that occurred between July 2013 and April 2104 is described and analyzed. The analysis emphasizes the need to consider the technical and adaptive aspects of implementing organizational change. Finally, the capstone concludes with reflections on the research and the implementation of the project. These reflections also provide potential implications for the author, for Expeditionary Learning, and for the education sector.