When a dashboard should lead to a decision

A dashboard says a measure has fallen. Everyone can see the colour changed. The difficult question is what the team should do with that information.

Explain the number first

Our starting point is the source, date, group and definition. Has the measure changed, or has the group changed? Are the figures comparable? Does a missing value mean no data or no concern?

These details can look less exciting than a chart, but they determine whether the conversation rests on something solid. Keep uncertainty visible rather than smoothing it away in a summary.

Make the next question specific

A pattern may justify investigation without establishing a cause. Invite the people closest to the work to add context. Consider alternative explanations before recommending an intervention.

For example, a cohort comparison might prompt a review of assessment coverage. That is different from concluding that teaching has become less effective.

Connect the decision to a review

If the school chooses an action, name the owner, intended change and evidence for review. The EEF implementation process provides a useful structure for thinking beyond launch to delivery and sustaining a change.

Later, ask whether the action happened and whether the evidence supports continuing it. A completed task and an improved outcome are separate claims.

This is the direction behind Schoolgle: sources, questions, actions and follow-through connected in one working account. The value is not another narrative generated from the same figures. It is helping a team understand what it knows and decide what to do next.