Courts need staff who can understand, interpret, and use data to support better decisions. Knowing what to ask for, how to interpret the numbers, and how to apply them to real decisions requires a skilled workforce.
The National Center for State Court’s Data Literacy for Courts course is now available to help court leaders and staff develop practical skills for reading, understanding, and communicating with court data.
“It is more important than ever to manage with data, and that requires fluency with data concepts,” said Nicole Waters, NCSC’s director of data, analytics, and forecasting. “Our in-person course teaches participants how to work with court data responsibly, improve data quality, and create visualizations that support better decision-making and build future-ready courts.”
The course was piloted in Georgia and Pennsylvania before its national rollout, allowing NCSC to test and refine the curriculum.
Kelly McClain, data exchange manager for the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System, said the course is both timely and practical for a wide range of court professionals.
“I can’t overstate the role of data in our world and the importance of having the skills to understand it,” McClain said. “The Data Literacy for Courts course is an excellent, easily digestible primer for all types of data consumers and providers, with practical applications that can be used immediately and considered as part of a broader data governance strategy.”
The course is currently offered in person to court administrators, new hires in research and data offices, and anyone looking to sharpen their data skills. Future plans include developing an online option.
Modules include:
• Data life cycle
• Court statistics
• Data sleuthing
• Data visualization
• Data ethics
• Data governance
To learn more about the course, visit NCSC’s court data guidance at www.ncsc.org/resources-courts/data.
The National Center for State Court’s Data Literacy for Courts course is now available to help court leaders and staff develop practical skills for reading, understanding, and communicating with court data.
“It is more important than ever to manage with data, and that requires fluency with data concepts,” said Nicole Waters, NCSC’s director of data, analytics, and forecasting. “Our in-person course teaches participants how to work with court data responsibly, improve data quality, and create visualizations that support better decision-making and build future-ready courts.”
The course was piloted in Georgia and Pennsylvania before its national rollout, allowing NCSC to test and refine the curriculum.
Kelly McClain, data exchange manager for the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System, said the course is both timely and practical for a wide range of court professionals.
“I can’t overstate the role of data in our world and the importance of having the skills to understand it,” McClain said. “The Data Literacy for Courts course is an excellent, easily digestible primer for all types of data consumers and providers, with practical applications that can be used immediately and considered as part of a broader data governance strategy.”
The course is currently offered in person to court administrators, new hires in research and data offices, and anyone looking to sharpen their data skills. Future plans include developing an online option.
Modules include:
• Data life cycle
• Court statistics
• Data sleuthing
• Data visualization
• Data ethics
• Data governance
To learn more about the course, visit NCSC’s court data guidance at www.ncsc.org/resources-courts/data.
