NCSC launches Data Literacy for Courts course
Courts need staff who can understand, interpret, and use data to support better decisions. NCSC's Data Literacy for Courts course gives court leaders and staff the practical skills to confidently read, understand, and communicate about court data.
If you work with or use court data, this course is for you. No background in data is required.
The case for data literacy
Data is one of a court's most underused assets. When staff at every level can read, question, and apply data, court leaders make better decisions, optimize processes, and measure what's actually working. Data literacy also creates a shared language across roles, helping teams collaborate more effectively on data quality and performance.
Who should attend
The Data Literacy for Courts course is designed for a wide range of court professionals, including court administrators, judges, clerks, IT staff, analysts, new hires in research and data offices, and any court professional interested in court data.
What the course covers
Attendees will learn the value of data, think critically about how data are collected and used, use data for insights and decision-making, and take collective responsibility for data quality.
The course includes modules on:
- Data life cycle
- Court statistics
- Data sleuthing
- Data visualization
- Data ethics
- Data governance
Course details
- Format: In-person, at NCSC or a court facility, or live virtual
- Length: 1.5 days, with flexible delivery options
- Cost: Contact us for details
- Group training: Available for courts that want to train a team together
Future offerings
Future plans for course expansion include:
- Online, on-demand course (asynchronous)
- Customized courses for targeted audiences (e.g., juvenile probation)
- Integration with NCSC's certification programs
I can't overstate the role of data in our world and the importance of having the skills to understand it. 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.
Kelly McClain
data exchange manager, Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System
From pilot courts to national rollout
Made possible in part by a Curriculum Adaptation Grant from the State Justice Institute, the curriculum was developed and refined through hands-on work with pilot courts in Georgia and Pennsylvania before its national rollout.
Watch our webinar, Future-ready courts: Building a data-literate workforce, to hear from NCSC experts and court professionals about how building a data-literate workforce prepares courts for the future.
Get Started
Ready to bring Data Literacy for Courts to your team? Contact us to discuss training for your court.
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