Postsecondary institutions need to rethink their relationship with data to drive meaningful change, argues Yolanda Watson Spiva (Complete College America) in an interview with the evoLLLution. Spiva discusses how data should be central to institutional decision-making—not siloed, punitive, or compliance-focused. She calls on leaders to disaggregate data, interpret it with nuance, and consider the conditions under which outcomes—such as those related to student demographics or resource levels—are achieved. Spiva further asserts that institutions should distinguish between metrics that show immediate progress and those that reflect long-term change. “When we combine strong data with evidence-based strategies, institutions can truly be transformational in advancing student success,” she concluded.
