If you're a parent, you know how critical it is to connect with teachers. And research backs this intuition up. From Harvard to the Journal of Education Research, numerous studies show that family engagement in education boosts student learning outcomes.

So, how do we engage families in learning? It all starts with clean data and interoperability.

Here to explain the relationship between tech and family engagement in learning is Strategy and Marketing Officer Dr. Chad Stevens. Chad shares what he’s learned from his career in the education industry, including his work at ParentSquare, and the innovative ways the right technology seamlessly brings families and educators together.

Chad explains the importance of clean data, interoperability, and connecting applications like ParentSquare to other forms of data to give educators and parents the information they need at the right time. He also shares his insights on making data-driven decisions as an EdTech leader and emphasizes the need to stay focused on learners.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How interoperability enables family engagement in learning
• Why empathy and active listening pave the way for tech that supports education
• How to leverage both intuition and data in decision-making

Things to listen for:

[00:00] An introduction to the episode

[06:45] The importance of data interoperability

[11:45] Bridging the gap between technology and instruction

[16:30] How interoperability impacts family involvement in education

[20:45] Balancing intuition with data

[28:30] Staying focused on learners as technology evolves

How does trust in data shape educational policy?

We’re diving into this question today with Dr. David Ramadan, a seasoned executive and international consultant with over 25 years of advocacy, business, and government relations experience.

Dr. Ramadan discusses the need for educational policies to embrace a data-driven approach for enhanced student outcomes and more effective resource allocation. He explains the factors contributing to the politicization of data and shares the importance of trust in creating a data-driven culture.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why there’s a lack of data-driven leadership in education today
• How to build a data-driven culture
• How technology can advance education

Education change-makers know that when data empowers, it’s much more powerful than data that merely meets compliance requirements.

Chief Information Officer for the Georgia Department of Education, Dr. Keith Osburn, and Chief Data Officer Nicholas Handville are doing just that by giving data back to educators across the state in formats that facilitate its use as a valuable decision-making tool.

In this episode, they share how they’re providing accessible, timely, and actionable data products that teachers and education leaders can use to make the best decisions for their students. They explain the critical role of system interoperability, modernizing data infrastructure, and establishing trust with all stakeholders.

Throughout the conversation, we explore tangible ways data reshapes educational landscapes by shifting from a compliance to a value-driven model, particularly post-COVID. Keith and Nicholas emphasize the need for an accessible approach tailored to support schools and districts regardless of their starting capacity.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The importance of enabling system interoperability
• How to shift data’s purpose from compliance to empowerment
• What modernization means for educational data and infrastructure