New Data Dashboard Provides Insight into Norwalk Community

Norwalk ACTS recently released its newest Norwalk Data Dashboard—a comprehensive dashboard with targeted sections, various data sources, and data visualizations providing residents with a wealth of information about their community, at their fingertips.

In the past, Norwalk ACTS made specific dashboards for the community and its Initiatives, but it has redesigned these dashboards to include more data in an easy-to-read format that is centralized in one location. Norwalk ACTS’ Data Dashboard is intended to help inform the community in developing solutions that drive equitable outcomes for young people and families.

The dashboard now includes five sections: Norwalk Citywide Profile, Norwalk Public Schools District, Norwalk Early Childhood, Norwalk Youth Social Emotional Health, and Norwalk College & Workforce Readiness.

“Behind every data point is a child. We owe it to our children and their families to know their larger story by collecting, connecting, and analyzing multiple data points, over time, across the cradle-to-career continuum,” explains Paula Palermo, Data Director for Norwalk ACTS, a “non-profit, cross-sector, cradle to career partnership of over 200 civic leaders, educators, organizations, and individuals who want Norwalk to be a connected and equitable community where every child and young person thrives academically, physically, and socially-emotionally from cradle to career.”

The dashboard sections cover an array of topics: city and student demographics, developmental readiness for Kindergarten, young people’s connectedness to their community, post-secondary outcomes, and how many households are struggling to afford basic needs based on the cost of living.

“We will continue to update and refine these data dashboards to ensure that this community-wide data informs decision making and ensures accountability for the Norwalk community,” noted Data Analyst Ray Leslie, who designed the new dashboard. Ray explained, “In the next year, we hope to strengthen the dashboard with more disaggregation by race and ethnicity and trend line analysis.”

Over 70 Norwalk ACTS members and partners attended Norwalk ACTS’s Quarterly Convening last month that highlighted the release of the new Norwalk Data Dashboard. At the convening, Norwalk Public Schools staff, City of Norwalk staff, community organization leaders and staff, and community members came together to reflect, connect, and discuss the data. Through table discussions, members and partners connected different data points together to tell a larger story of Norwalk and began to explore how this data could inform programming, services, and roles in the Norwalk community.

"Norwalk ACTS does an incredible job helping countless young people and families across our community. The addition of their Data Dashboard will only enhance their ability to continue to provide critical information to the community as we collaborate in support of several programs geared towards creating positive outcomes for residents,” said Mayor Harry Rilling.

“Norwalk Public Schools appreciates the work by Norwalk ACTS to aggregate this necessary data in one convenient location that can help us better respond to the needs of our scholars – whether they be academically, emotionally and/or socially. We see this dashboard as another important tool that the district can use along with our growing data analytics team to best support our scholars,” added Dr. Alexandra Estrella, Superintendent of Schools.

The Dashboard can be viewed on Norwalk ACTS website at https://bit.ly/NorwalkDataDashboard.