Data dashboard reports school statistics

(CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Interested individuals can ‘drive’ to school system statistics with the data dashboard for Madison City Schools.

The dashboard is a web page with a graphical interface that reports facts about the Madison district. Madison Board of Education member Connie Spears has described the page as “an online snapshot with images and graphs that show statistics on test scores and other details.”

To access the dashboard, visit madisoncity.k12.al.us and click “Data Dashboard” in the list at the left.

For about one year, Madison Board of Education has been investigating the feasibility of this tool. Superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler previously has referred to the dashboard “a one-stop shop to sell our system.”

Currently, the dashboard lists Alabama Reading and Math Test (AMRT) results for grades 3-8 for 2010 through 2012. Graduation data for Bob Jones High School shows the largest graduating class of 735 in 2012, compared to 657 in 2013 with the opening of James Clemens High School.

Bob Jones’ graduation rate is 93 percent with 48.33 percent of students receiving college scholarships. Graduation data for James Clemens is TBD (to be determined).

The expenditure per student for school year 2012-2013 was $8,626.91, compared to 2010-2011 at $8,523.16. A pie chart shows the state, local, federal and other revenue for fiscal year 2012’s proposed budget.

The data dashboard also lists degree percentages for central office personnel and teachers, attendance rates for elementary and secondary students, child nutrition figures, military-connected students, transportation numbers and feedback from Spring 2013 parent surveys.

The district’s home page has a video with Fowler discussing the data dashboard while sitting in an airplane cockpit.

“This dashboard data information is part of our ongoing effort to be transparent and accountable to those we serve,” public relations manager John Peck said.