ECRA, in partnership with AASA, is offering an adaptive cohort exclusively for superintendents that are members of AASA.

Using Data Effectively for Strategic Monitoring
Communicating district performance to the board of education is a critical responsibility of the superintendent.
Program Description
The partnership will provide superintendents the knowledge and tools to measure and communicate progress toward district goals. The partnership is led by national experts in data science, and combines personalized consulting, professional development, and a strategic dashboard tool.
Program Objectives
Superintendents in the program will:
- Learn how to identify the right data to measure progress toward goals
- Learn how to leverage benchmarks to enhance board understanding
- Develop and launch a strategic dashboard for their school district
Program Design
The program is designed exclusively for superintendents and has a rolling enrollment model, which includes:
- Live virtual professional development sessions on a revolving topic schedule so you can work at your own pace and attend sessions that are convenient
- Live virtual office hours to receive personalized consulting
- On demand learning resources
- License to the ECRA Strategic Dashboard
Lead Instructor
Through this partnership, AASA members will learn from Dr. John Gatta.
John Gatta, Ph.D. is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ECRA Group. In addition to his responsibilities at ECRA Group, John is an Associate Professor of statistics, predictive analytics, and machine learning at Northwestern University, where he served as Director of Research for 12 years. Dr. Gatta has been the recipient of local and national awards such as educator of the year from Northwestern University and statistician of the year from the American Statistical Association for excellence in the teaching of statistics and data science. He has publications in both the education and healthcare sectors.
His unique blend of academic, technical, management and leadership experience gives him keen insights into how schools can best adopt research and analytics as a core strategy for quality improvement. As CEO of ECRA Group, Dr. Gatta serves as chief architect of ECRA’s analytic infrastructure related to data structures, prediction algorithms, and reporting.

Adaptive Cohort Modules
This adaptive cohort is built so that participants can join at any time and learn at their own pace. Along with the below modules, participants will have access to virtual office hours. During office hours, join your peers to discuss what you’ve learned and get your questions answered by ECRA’s expert leaders. Upon completion of the adaptive cohort, graduates will receive a certificate of completion. This can be used towards professional development or as evidence of expertise on your résumé.
Module 1
Telling your story with the Strategic Dashboard
Learn how to identify your district’s unique story and tell it.
Module 2
Visioning - How you define student success
Learn how to communicate a clear and compelling vision for student success.
Module 3
Indicators - Operationalize your vision
Learn how to link your vision to key performance indicators (KPIs) and demonstrate success.
Module 4
Strategy - Organize & monitor your action plans
Learn how to transparently and collaboratively track the progress of your plan.

Strategic Dashboard

As an outcome of this adaptive cohort, your district will develop and launch a Strategic Dashboard.
ECRA’s Strategic Dashboard is a powerful tool for superintendents and boards of education to tell their school district’s story and track strategic indicators and priorities.
Vision
Communicate your district’s mission and vision in a multimedia format to inspire your board and community.
KPIs
Measure progress towards the district’s vision through key performance indicators (KPI) and benchmarks.
Strategies
Monitor implementation of goals and objectives and provide transparency to the board and community regarding progress.
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Program cost: $10,000/year