Street Data Institute: Embracing an Abundance Mindset

Education can be transformed if we eradicate our fixation on big data like standardized test scores as the supreme measure of equity and learning. Instead of focusing on “filling” academic gaps, we must re-envision the system from the ground up—with classrooms, schools and systems built around students’ brilliance, cultural wealth, and intellective capacity. This call to action has never been more timely. Street data is the qualitative and experiential data that emerges at eye level and on higher frequencies when we train our brains to discern it. Street data is asset based, building on culturally responsive education by focusing on what’s right in our students, schools, and communities instead of seeking out what’s wrong. Street data reminds us that what is measurable is not the same as what is valuable and that data can be humanizing, liberatory and healing.

Many of our schools’ equity efforts focus on oversimplified quick fixes and implementation of off-the-shelf solutions. While we may feel a sense of urgency to address deep-rooted equity issues, our attempts are often thwarted by landmines that can be identified and removed through strategic analysis and creative action. This session offers educators the opportunity to examine some of the most common traps and tropes while finding the courage and agency to unhinge ourselves from a legacy of “implementation” over imagination.

By breaking down street data fundamentals: what it is, how to gather it, and how it can complement other forms of data to guide a school or district’s equity journey, author Shane Safir will offer an actionable framework for school transformation. Join us for this dynamic workshop as Shane presents this transformational model and helps you shift your focus from satellite-level data to real-time, on-the-ground stories, experiences, and artifacts. Shane will also explore the domains of student agency and pedagogies of student voice. Attendees will have ample time to develop an equity centered inquiry question and listening plan.

This two-day Street Data workshop with Shane Safir will conclude with a session facilitated by Aaron Tyo-Dickerson that will equip you to translate insights into action.

Delve into a curated selection of technology tools and services designed to streamline your Street Data workflow. Explore features like speech-to-text for effortless data capture, audio extraction or transcription for in-depth analysis, and text anonymization to protect student privacy.

We'll also unveil presentation and analysis tools that empower you to transform raw data into actionable insights and compelling presentations. Gain the confidence to leverage technology and unlock the full potential of Street Data for transformative change in your school.

Shane Safir

Shane Safir has worked at every level of the education system, from the classroom to the boardroom, for 25 years. In 2003, after teaching in San Francisco and Oakland and organizing in the community to launch a new school, Safir became the founding principal of June Jordan School for Equity (JJSE), an innovative national model identified by leading scholar Linda Darling-Hammond as having “beaten the odds in supporting the success of low-income students of colour.” Since 2008, Safir has provided equity-centered leadership coaching, strategic planning, and professional learning support for schools, districts, and organizations across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. She facilitates workshops on creating brave spaces for equity, listening leadership, becoming a warm demander, and Street Data among other content. She is the author of The Listening Leader: Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation (Jossey-Bass: 2017) and the bestselling book Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation (Corwin, 2021), co-authored with Dr. Jamila Dugan.

Aaron Tyo Dickerson

Aaron Tyo-Dickerson is an experienced technology leader and educator, currently the Technology Innovation Coordinator at the International School of The Hague. With a Master’s in Curriculum Development and a robust background in technology integration, Aaron has driven digital innovation at top international schools. An accomplished presenter, he has shared his expertise at forums like Learning2 Europe and AppsEvents Summits. His work emphasizes blended learning, professional development, and fostering collaboration through technology.

Host or Publisher International School of Amsterdam