Achieving the Dream Data Coach
The data coach works closely with the data team to help the college build capacity to use data to analyze student needs, research strategies for addressing problems, monitor progress, and evaluate results. The data facilitator also helps the college craft effective presentations to the college and community.
Data coach will spend up to 12 days working with each assigned college during year one and two. They will then spend up to 9, 6 and 3 days for each of the next consecutive years, respectively. Their interaction with assigned colleges may include a combination of campus visits, e-mail correspondence, telephone conversations, reflection, and web-mediated communication. In addition, data facilitators are required to attend a Kick Off Institute, annual retreats with Achieving the Dream coaches, and annual Strategy Institutes. They are also required to prepare quarterly reports and an annual reflection memo for each of their assigned sites.
Data Coach: John D. Cooper
John D. Cooper consults with business and educational institutions specializing in planning, organizational development, quality improvement and assessment, leadership, team building & instructional design. Cooper is currently a faculty mentor with Walden University’s Community College Leadership Program, a data facilitator for Achieving the Dream and an affiliate faculty member for Regis University’s Master of Nonprofit Management Program. He has served as an examiner for the Colorado Performance Excellence Program (CPEx). Previously he held positions as community college vice-president and dean and in various human resources and training roles for General Motors. He is a graduate of Rutgers College of South Jersey, holds an MBA from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Michigan State University.