Back to school by the numbers (and what else we should collect)

There’s so much we can measure about the start of a school year, but is that giving us all of the information we need to tell our story?

For example, I can quantify lots of things about my daughter’s transition to kindergarten:

How long it took us to find a kindergarten placement for our September baby (5, in case you missed my op-ed from last week!)
How many times I cried when we left the school where she’d been for three years (So many)
The amount of money I spent on school uniforms (More than expected)
How many days she’s officially been a kindergartener (We’re on day 6!)
The number of meltdowns she had from first week of school exhaustion (I've stopped counting)
The volume of papers being sent home in her folder every day (Whew, I thought preschool was bad)

But none of that really captures our experience. These numbers can only tell part of the story.

My daughter is LOVING kindergarten. And we are thrilled to see her excited and thriving.

But my list of stats alone wouldn’t have told you that.

There are probably tons of data points that your organization has for the start of a school year, no matter how you support kids and families.

Maybe the number of referrals for services skyrockets.

Or maybe your work hours seem to get longer by the day.

Maybe you’re also dealing with the meltdowns and exhaustion (completely understandable!).

But what about the huge hugs you got from kids whom you hadn’t seen in months?

Or the families who had a more stable summer than expected because of how you supported them in the spring?

It’s hard to quantify those types of impact.

So as we ease into this school year, it’s of course critical to have your data tracking systems in order for those indicators that you can and need to track.

But don’t forget to collect the stories too.

Together, that is how we can TRULY describe the difference you’re making in your community.