Human Resources

The Case for Analyzing Your District's Staffing Levels

Regular performance reviews are an important part of any successful school district’s best practices. Many variables impact performance, and the most successful districts are those that can identify performance gaps early to identify adjustments to most effectively close the identified gaps. A “gap” is a difference between your district’s actual performance and the performance goal […]

Human Capital Management

Talk Data to Me: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Recruiting and Hiring Practices

The Frontline Research and Learning Institute recently surveyed district and school administrators regarding their organization’s past, present, and future focus of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). We heard from 567 respondents representing 49 states and small and large public, private, and charter schools. 84.4% of respondents answered very important or important when asked to rate […]

Human Resources

How Talent Data Can Lead to Better Decision-Making for K-12 Leaders

In 2018, a white paper titled “Balancing the Equation” proposed a vision for strategic human capital management (HCM) characterized by a holistic approach to building and maintaining a high-performing employee culture. It went on to say as part of this culture, leaders would make data-driven decisions aligned to their school system’s strategic objectives. Their teams […]

Human Resources

Talk Data to Me: Did COVID Increase the Education Hiring Pool?

Just how is the pandemic impacting hiring in schools? In previous Talk Data to Me posts (here and here), we explored the effect COVID has had on the number of people applying for jobs in education. But what about who is applying? Has there been any change in, say, candidates’ experience levels? Data from the […]

Human Resources

Talk Data to Me: Absence Management During COVID-19

In the last installment of Talk Data to Me, we looked at how COVID-19 has significantly impacted K-12 hiring. Below, we will again leverage data from the Frontline Research & Learning Institute, this time to show how COVID-19 has impacted teacher absences. The K-12 community is faced with a difficult decision: continue remote learning in […]

Human Resources

(VIDEO) Explain It Like I’m 9: Low Substitute Fill Rates? Your Substitute Teachers Might Not Be Accepting Jobs.

Ah, new beginnings… Welcome to the first episode in a new series from Frontline Education: “Explain It Like I’m 9.” In each episode, our elementary and middle school-aged experts will take a quick look at a data point that impacts school leaders. Then, they’ll examine what it can tell us, and offer some takeaways or […]

Business

Change You Can Count On: Change Management in K-12

“Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…” In 1971 (when David Bowie released “Changes”), the internet was in its infancy. Nearly fifty years later, we hold the internet—and all its power—in our hands. Of course, with information’s accessibility at an all-time high, the world has become more dynamic and turbulent than ever before. As British journalist Oliver Burkeman pointed out: “[W]hen […]

Talk Data to Me

A data-centric view on the challenges facing school districts

Recruiting & Hiring

Talk Data to Me: Hire Rates

According to a 2021 Frontline survey, about two-thirds of over 1,200 school and district administrators reported having a teacher shortage. Some districts experienced the teacher shortage worse than others. About half of the respondents reported difficulty filling jobs across all grade levels and subjects while the other half felt the effects of the shortage in […]

Teacher Absences & Subs

Talk Data to Me: Trends in Absence Management and Substitute Pools

Troubled by substitute shortages and low fill rates? You’re not alone. These are challenges faced by many districts, and for good reason. Substitute management is no walk in the park: a lot of different elements go into maintaining and managing a healthy substitute pool.   To overcome the challenges associated with the substitute shortage, districts […]

Recruiting & Hiring

Talk Data to Me: The State of the Instructional Teacher Shortage

The Frontline Research and Learning Institute recently published a research brief called “The State of the Instructional Teacher Shortage”. Following a basic supply and demand economic model, the analysis investigates the quantity of candidates applying for jobs (supply) as well as the availability of open positions (demand). Trends show changes to both sides of the […]

Student Data

Talk Data to Me: Supporting the Health Needs of Students and Staff

In early April, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that schools should be reopened and “full-fledged in person” come fall 2021, regardless of vaccination status. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona echoed this in early May, saying that he expects a full return for all students in the fall. With most states no longer placing restrictions on school […]

Front & Center

A series showcasing various leaders in the K-12 space