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    FISCAL OPERATIONS: Fiscal Data Management
    Overview: School action plans, financial analysis, required statistical reports, budget performance forecasts, and public information about student outcomes all require careful manipulation of complex data. Good fiscal data management enables a system to reflect on its performance and predict future needs.

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    SCHOOL BOARD SUPERINTENDENT PRINCIPAL
    Guiding Questions
    • What data does the board need to make financial decisions effectively?
    • Is there a fiscal data-management system in place?
    • How can the board promote data-driven fiscal decision making?
    • In what forms should financial data be available?
    • What are the operational data-management needs of the district, and how are they being met? What needs are not being met?
    • What are the educational data-management needs of the district, and how are they being met? What needs are not being met?
    • Is there an individual responsible for data management and analysis?
    • Does the district have a data warehouse?
    • What data systems are in place within the district/SU and in the school?
    • What data do you need?
    • Are data systems compatible across the school and the district?
    • Who is responsible for data management across the district/ SU? Within the school?
    • Is the data gathered the data that is needed? How do new data points get added to the system?
    • What the trends do the data show, and how are data systems evaluated for their value?
    • What are the PD needs of the staff to enable use of the data?
    Tasks to Consider
    • Train the board how to interpret financial data.
    • Receive report from superintendent about data management systems.
    • Use financial data to drive decisions.
    • Determine the accounting software employed by the district.
    • Identify what alternative financial data management applications are supported in the district.
    • Review how the district coordinates its fiscal data needs.
    • Review the school and district/SU action plans and annual report to determine financial impacts.
    • Identify roles, responsibilities, and lines of authority for data gathering, analysis, and management
    • Determine timelines and formats for reports and data
    • Develop a system to provide feedback about the data and the system for gathering data
    • Identify the PD needs of the staff and train staff to use data