Chapter 4. After a Crisis: Displaced Student Data Reporting and Evaluation—Evaluating Response Activities

When the crisis is over, agencies should evaluate the effectiveness of their disaster recovery plan, including all components of data response efforts. Some of the major questions asked should include

• Was the data response planning adequate for the crisis?
• What additional planning might have been helpful?
• Did data systems and staff perform all of their necessary functions?
• Did crisis data elements accomplish their purpose?
• Should new data items be developed for future crises? If so, what items?
• Did financial systems and policies help or hinder the data response?
• Did external auditing reveal any shortcomings in the system?
• How effective were communications between agencies, both inside and outside the state, as appropriate?
• Were data collection and reporting timelines met?
• Was the confidentiality of all student data protected?
• Are there any long term consequences to data reports that need to be addressed or explained, such as uncharacteristic changes in enrollments because of displaced students?
• What changes to the disaster recovery plan should be implemented immediately, and what changes should occur after the next upgrade to the data system?
• What other lessons can be learned from the crisis and response?

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