Step 4: Host a Data Party
Host a data party to review findings and generate recommendations.
After data collection, bring together the members of the team and other relevant stakeholders for a data party—an event where participants collectively analyze and interpret the data that has been collected. By surfacing multiple perspectives and viewpoints, a data party facilitates the strategic review process, enabling participants to synthesize insights, uncover underlying causes, and collectively create targeted recommendations.
During the session, preliminary results are presented to the group. College teams should interrogate the findings by asking thoughtful questions like these: What was unexpected or new? Are there any gaps in our analysis? How do these findings impact our program? The questions serve as prompts that stimulate discussion and foster critical reflection on the data.
After the data party dialogue has concluded, the team should reconvene to develop initial recommendations
Examples From North Carolina
At each college, the teams met to review the findings from quantitative and qualitative research and generated recommendations and goals to focus on during the project.
Here’s an example of a program goal that emerged from the data parties:
Improve retention in mechatronics program: By the end of the fall of 2026, increase the retention rate of students from populations that are underrepresented in mechatronics courses by 20% compared to fall 2024 levels by establishing at least six structured work-based learning opportunities (such as apprenticeships or internships) and implementing targeted wraparound supports to reduce barriers to completion.