Frenalytics, New York, New York, United States: Frenalytics: A Game-Changing Approach to Data Visualization in Special Education

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We completed a 10-month exploratory research initiative funded by the National Science Foundation with 249 educators, students & parents to understand the workflows and needs of special education teachers. By understanding what student data is being collected, who's involved in collecting it, and how student data is being organized and analyzed, we designed a solution that solves a problem in education: how data can truly benefit students.
We discovered that common metrics (exam scores, homework completion, attendance records, etc) failed to capture an accurate and comprehensive representation of the whole child in special education. We also observed how generic data dashboards did not offer relevant and timely information to educators and that educators distrusted graph accuracy.
With a heightened emphasis on data-driven decisions in education, EdTech companies have a deep responsibility to design data visualizations that empower educators to make accurate and effective decisions for their students, as these decisions change the trajectory of what’s possible for each and every student.
In our analysis, we found that educators kept extensive pen and paper notes on:

• Mastery criteria (fluency words per minute, rate of improvement, percentage correct, etc)
• Whether the session or assignment was completed
• Date of the session
• Absences
• Accommodations used
• Class engagement
• Environmental conditions
• Interventions used
• Prompting level and type of prompt
• Strategies used
• Student’s mood and actions
• Time of the session
• Time on task
• Tools used (name of book, worksheet, physical objects, etc)
• What was difficult and easy for the student
• Which answers were correct/incorrect

Our first goal was to turn this essential observational data into quantitative data points that could be manipulated and aggregated to identify trends and associations.
Next, we found that observational notes are more impactful when associated with academic data. Presented on an infinite scrolling line chart, our dashboards now display academic data chronologically, associating quantitative data (academic performance) with holistic qualitative data from variables (mood, behavior, which educator facilitated the academic assessment, etc). This infinite scroll was inspired by the linear nature of our lives, and how easy it is to lose sight of what we have done when it’s not visible.
We also took this linear snapshot of a student and zoomed into the small details, enabling educators to visualize academic performance in relation to goals that are legally set in a student’s Individualized Education Plan. A student’s progress on each goal is visible at a glance and educators can see how they are progressing or declining from where they began. We also include tooltips for each data point, giving educators confidence in how we represent data and calculate our graphs and percentages.
During our interviews, we learned data does not only live on data dashboards. By incorporating easy-to-understand analytics on the screens where educators are making instructional decisions, we’ve enabled educators to take immediate data-driven action when it matters most: while they’re making decisions. In this module, as educators create assignments, relevant performance data and correlated academic suggestions now enable educators to quickly challenge a student or revisit concepts.
Through our extensive research to understand the workflows and goals that educators have for data visualization, we've designed an industry-leading approach to data visualization in special education.