Data Packet Preparation — What Every Board Needs Before the October Data Review

Data Packet Preparation — What Every Board Needs Before the October Data Review

September 6, 2027

The August work session launched the data review system. The board confirmed the metric set, the data format, and the decision-recording protocol. The September board meeting established the October data review date.

Now it is the first week of September, and the board has four weeks before the data review. Four weeks to ensure the data packet is prepared, delivered, and digestible.

Here is what I have learned from coaching boards through data reviews: the quality of the data review is determined not by what happens during the meeting, but by what happens in the four weeks before it.

What the board needs to request from the superintendent this week

The board should send a written data packet request to the superintendent by the end of this week. The request should specify:

The metric set that was confirmed in August — each goal with its associated metrics, the data sources, and the time period the data covers
The data format — I recommend a one-page dashboard per goal with trend data (at least three data points so the board can see direction), current status, and a brief narrative context box
The data packet delivery deadline — at least seven days before the data review, and preferably ten
The board member pre-reading expectation — every board member commits to reading the data packet before the meeting, not during it

Boards that send a written request in the first week of September get a complete data packet two weeks later. Boards that assume the superintendent knows what the board needs get a PowerPoint presentation the night before the meeting.

What the data packet should contain

A complete data packet for the October data review has four components, and the board should confirm all four are in progress this week:

Component one: The goal-by-goal data dashboard. One page per goal. The metric name, the baseline, the target, the current data point, the trend direction, and a brief narrative from the superintendent explaining what the data shows. No more than one page per goal. If the narrative is longer than one page, the board has not narrowed the metric set enough.

Component two: The comparison context. The board needs to know whether the current data point represents progress against the baseline. For each metric, the data packet should show the current data point alongside the baseline from the beginning of the governance year. If available, district-level trend data from the previous two years provides additional context.

Component three: The superintendent’s early analysis. The superintendent should have an opportunity to identify patterns, flag concerns, and highlight bright spots before the board reviews the data. This is not the superintendent presenting recommendations for board approval. It is the superintendent providing professional context so the board can make better governance decisions.

Component four: The board’s decision framework. The data packet should include a one-page decision template for each goal. The template has three options: accept the current trajectory (no change needed), direct a change (specific adjustment with a timeline), or request more information (specific question with a deadline). The board fills this out during the data review.

What the board president should do this week

Three actions:

One. Send the written data packet request to the superintendent. If the board has not sent this yet, the first week of September is the deadline. Every week of delay reduces the data quality and increases the likelihood of a presentation-driven data review rather than a governance-driven data review.

Two. Confirm the data review facilitation plan with the board. Who facilitates? What time is allocated? What is the decision-making protocol? The board president should have a facilitation plan ready to share with the board at the next meeting.

Three. Communicate the pre-reading expectation to every board member. The data packet arrives at least seven days before the review. Every board member commits to reading it before the meeting. The board president sets the expectation: we do not review data for the first time in the meeting room.

Four weeks looks like a long time in September. It is not. The board that waits until the third week of September to request the data packet will receive a rushed packet that does not support governance decisions. The board that requests the packet this week, confirms the format, and sets the pre-reading expectation will walk into the October data review prepared to govern.

Your free CTA: Reply to this email with the keyword DataPacket and I’ll send you the Data Packet Preparation Kit — including the superintendent data request template, the goal-by-goal dashboard format example, the decision template for board use, and the board president’s facilitation planning guide.

Your paid CTA: I offer a Data Review System Setup Coaching Call — a sixty-minute session with the board president and superintendent covering the data packet preparation, the data format selection, the board pre-reading expectation setting, and the October data review facilitation plan. Reply to this email for pricing and availability.

This piece continues the Fall Governance Cycle series. The Sep 1 piece launched the series with the September board meeting agenda. The Sep 3 piece covered the superintendent partnership rhythm. This piece covers the data packet preparation that determines whether October’s data review produces governance decisions. Wednesday’s piece covers community engagement — how to frame the fall priorities for the community and build trust before the data review season begins. Subscribe at effectiveschoolboards.com to continue the series.