Establishing District-Wide Data Governance to Support 43,000+ Students in Georgia

The Challenge

The school district needed to establish formal, district-wide data management practices to ensure the integrity, compliance, and strategic use of its vast data assets. Without a robust governance framework, the district faced challenges related to data quality, privacy, compliance with state and federal regulations, and the ability to reliably leverage data to support its core educational objectives.

Project:

The district engaged in a strategic partnership to design and implement a comprehensive data governance program from the ground up. This project blended high-level strategy with hands-on implementation support, focusing on:

• Foundational Analysis: A thorough assessment of existing data systems and governance structures to develop tailored guidelines that aligned with educational best practices and regulatory requirements.

• Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration: Extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders—including school board members, district administrators, teachers, and IT staff—through workshops, focus groups, and regular meetings to gather input and ensure district-wide buy-in.

• Hands-On Implementation: Direct collaboration with IT staff and administrators to create a hands-on Data Inventory and integrate a new Data Governance Operating Model into existing systems.

• Policy Development: The creation of a critical Data Classification Policy to establish clear standards and guidelines for accessing and managing sensitive student and staff data.
  

Results & Benefits:

This project successfully established a robust and sustainable data governance framework, tailored to the specific needs of the school district. The initiative fostered a collaborative environment, ensuring governance initiatives were well-understood and supported across the district. The new framework has enhanced data integrity and usability, ensured alignment with critical regulatory requirements, and provided the school board with reliable, high-quality data systems capable of supporting its long-term educational objectives.