As the new assistant commissioner of research and technology and chief information officer at the Arkansas Department of Education, Cody Decker has spent close to a year repeating this mantra: “Use data as a flashlight, not as a hammer.”

Decker graduated with a doctorate in integrated computing from UALR on Dec. 20. He was promoted to his current position when Jim Boardman retired after a 43-year career at the agency.

He knew he had big shoes to fill, but he also acknowledged a great starting foundation.

“This division has a strong culture of data-driven decision-making,” he said. “We firmly support the idea that data should primarily be used as a diagnostic tool to assist the complex work of educators and administrators.”

Under Decker’s leadership, the Data Quality Campaign, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, national advocacy organization, gave the state high marks for its statewide data systems.

The report noted that Arkansas had “built robust statewide longitudinal data systems that collect quality data beyond test scores, and they are doing more and more to support effective data use.”

He was also behind the launch of the ADE Data Center, which hosts the collection and reporting of a number of data systems. But, with much negative publicity regarding privacy breaches, is there ever such a thing as too much data?

Decker says because data appears in almost every facet of life, there is a continued need for solid governance on the use and storage of data.

He pointed to the Statewide Information System Data Dictionary/Handbook as one example of a way that the department seeks to provide data transparency. The book provides a comprehensive list of data collected on Arkansas’ students, educators, schools, and districts.

Working with UALR Information Science Professors Russel Bruhn, Elizabeth Pierce, John Talburt and Ningning Wu, Decker is helping advance the state of data quality and privacy research.

“My professors continuously motivated me to exceed in the classroom and equipped me with the analytical, problem-solving and technical skill-sets needed to excel in the workplace,” says Decker.

Decker has a bachelor of science degree in information science and a master of science degree in information quality, both from UALR.