About

Transforming the data culture in education with a students first focus

Our Story

In 2012, the Santa Clara County Office of Education set out to create a data warehouse that could aggregate educational data from disparate systems and combine the data into a one-stop-shop (“DataZone”) that would provide educators with the critical data needed to improve student outcomes.

While the original concept of DataZone was to provide analytics to districts and school sites to support data-driven decision making and work toward equitable outcomes for all students groups, it quickly became evident that solely working with school districts would not be enough to support the broader work needed to change outcomes for our most at-risk groups. In 2015 work began to develop an integrated data system that would bring together educational and case data on Foster Youth in Santa Clara County. Fast forward to 2022, and DataZone's student data warehouse is implemented in 47 districts across 5 counties, is the backbone for bringing educational data to interagency systems, and is improving collaborative support for Santa Clara County's most at-risk students. Today, schools and districts use DataZone Analytics to quickly gain insights into student need and system effectiveness, and community partnerships are strengthened by the use of shared data via the Data Extract program and the interagency applications such as FosterVision and Service Link.

Our Leadership Team

MD
Dr. Mary Ann Dewan
County Superintendent of Schools
DW
David Wu
Head of Technology
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Nabil Shahin
Director, Integrated Data, Research & Evaluation
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Narasimhan Ganesh
Director, Data & Analytics Development
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Dharma Jayabal
Manager, Data Systems
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Rodrick Ang
Product Manager
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Veronica Garza
Director, Early Care & Education Initiatives
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Abby Almerido
Assistant Director, Integrated Data
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Nancy K. Nguyen
Manager, Integrated Data
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Irina Shacter
Assistant Director, Data Governance

Our Pledge

DataZone has pledged to uphold the following student data principles - championed by education organizations across the United States who are also committed to providing resources and guidance to support the ability of everyone with a stake in education to safeguard student data.

We believe that… High-quality education data are essential for improving students’ achievement in school and preparing them for success in life. When effectively used, these data can empower educators, students, and families with the information they need to make decisions to help all learners succeed.

We believe that… In instances where using personal information is necessary, those few individuals who have access to this information to carry out their duties must handle it in a legal, responsible, and ethical manner.

And, we believe that… educational institutions and anyone who has access to students’ personal information should adhere to and build upon the following foundational principles.

  1. Student data should be used to further and support student learning and success.
  2. Student data are most powerful when used for continuous improvement and personalizing student learning.
  3. Student data should be used as a tool for informing, engaging, and empowering students, families, teachers, and school system leaders.
  4. Students, families, and educators should have timely access to information collected about the student.
  5. Student data should be used to inform and not replace the professional judgment of educators.
  6. Educators and their contracted service providers should only have access to the minimum student data required to support student success.

For more information about the Student Data Principle Pledge, please visit https://dataqualitycampaign.org/resources/student-data-principles.