“Numbers talk.”
These are just two words with such great impact as it relates to education in South Africa.
They were shared by Principal Lineo Kolobe of Sedibeng Primary School in Thembisa, a community just outside of Johannesburg, when the Data Driven Districts (DDD) team recently spent time unpacking their schools’ data-driven journey.
The ability of data to improve learners’ lives at scale was one of the driving forces behind the development of the Data Driven Districts program more than a decade ago. As the program has grown, it has continued to be our task to ensure that educators have not only quality data but a simple and intuitive way to access and analyze it.
Teaching and Learning: “The Sedibeng Way”
Principal Kolobe and her school management team (also known as the SMT) have put strategies in place to support their learners through the use of data. As Data Driven Districts users for nearly seven years, the Sedibeng SMT utilizes the intuitive functionalities of the dashboard to access important aspects of teaching and learning. The team uses the information derived from the DDD dashboard in their ongoing SMT meetings to guide their decisions– whether that’s discussing areas of success for a specific grade, or intervention for learners who may need more hands-on attention.
Prior to the dashboard, the SMT was analyzing their data manually – pencil, paper, and manual filing systems – to analyze information like learner scores and attendance. With the DDD dashboard, the teachers at Sedibeng Primary School now have access to a more automated way to get to know their learners. In this video, Principal Kolobe and Deputy Principal Dibakwane introduce us to Sedibeng Primary and the key role data plays in decision-making at their school. I’m grateful for the chance to have spent time with the Sedibeng team, and to share more on how they’ve become champions to better drive their learners forward.
Dive Deeper
Empowering Educators in South Africa with Data
Hear educators and leaders at Sedibeng Primary School in Thembisa, Johannesburg, South Africa share how the Data Driven Districts dashboard has empowered them to make more informed , data-driven decisions to support their learners.