What do you like most about the DataPoint newsletter? Scan the code with your phone, or click here to vote.           ON THE DDD CALENDAR       It’s the quickest way to ensure your data submissions are fast and trouble free! Book your seat at one of next week’s webinars to learn more about the term-to-date submission and validation processes, and how to resolve common challenges. Click below to book.             DISCOVER how to track and analyse subject performance and assessments; see which learners are passing (or not) per subject and grade; and analyse grade performance for up to five terms prior. Click below or visit the Events section on the DDD Learning Hub to book your seat.                   DATA NEWS AND UPDATES       NECT: Let’s keep it clean!         Posting live from Empangeni in KwaZulu- Natal on Wednesday, speakers at the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) provincial dialogue highlighted the importance of clean, reliable data in addressing some of the misperceptions and issues in the sector. Principal Mthethwa of Zinqobele Secondary School presented a case in point, sharing how data helped her school’s pass rate grow from 56% to 98% in four years. For more info on NECT dialogues find them on Facebook or visit their website.
	New tool for EMIS officials: DDD’s new Program Monitoring function for EMIS rolls out within the next two weeks, to enable more effective submissions management. For queries email the DDD Helpdesk.     Site not found? Here’s why: If you receive an error the next time you try access the DDD Dashboard, it could be because you’re using an old link or outdated bookmark. Click here for details of what to do next.   Going live by end Feb on DDD: Selected graphs on the dashboard's Trends and Achievement pages will soon reflect all promotion statuses, including promoted, not promoted, progressed, retained, and unknown. Log in soon to check it out.
	IT’S IN YOUR DNA: CHANGE A SECTOR, CHANGE A LIFE       Collecting and visualising data to make big decisions isn't new – it's been saving lives since the 1850s! Florence Nightingale, born in 1820, is widely recognised for being the founder of modern nursing, but she was also one of the first to use visuals and infographics to explain her medical statistics. And it made a huge impact on public health policies in the 19th century. By carefully gathering and analysing information in the course of her hospital work, Nightingale discovered that sanitation and hygiene were crucial for health. She presented her data in such a compelling way that it caught the attention of people who could influence policy change, leading to critical healthcare reforms and the very foundations of healthcare today. Nightingale's legacy shows that even before technology was here to help us, data has always had the power to inform decisions and change lives. It also proves, perhaps, that regardless of the sector in which we work, “data is in our DNA”. Click to read more.
	MUSIC TO OUR EARS: Principal turns pass rate around         A true champion is not defined by their victories, but by their strength to continue, even when the odds are stacked against them. In sport they are called legends, but at DDD we call them data champions. And the principal at Khutlo-Tharo Performing and Creative Arts School Of Specialisation in Gauteng, is one of them. Thanks to his skillful use of data, a structured plan and the support of his educators, Mr Madisha Maesela improved last year’s Grade 12 pass rate from 85% to 93% in a single term. “Schools of specialisation do not have the same targets as the schools we classify as ordinary,” he explains. “We are expected to deliver 100% pass rates with an acceptable minimum of 95%.” And with the help of DDD, they are now one step closer to achieving it. “Not a day goes by without me accessing the dashboard. Even on my busiest days I find time to login and view my school’s data.” Principal Maesela advises his fellow education officials to view DDD as a platform that puts information at your fingertips. “If you have connectivity, you have the dashboard, and the power to change learner outcomes. It is as simple, and as important, as that!”
To share feedback on this newsletter email: Communication@newleaders.co.za       For DDD technical assistance contact: help@dbedashboard.co.za                             dbedashboard   The DDD programme is an initiative of the Department of Basic Education, in collaboration with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and New Leaders Foundation.

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