At the recent 2024 CFEED Annual Summit, education leaders from across Florida gathered to discuss the power of data-driven solutions in supporting student success. This article highlights key takeaways from several summit attendees who shared their unique perspectives on how CFEED’s data model is making a difference in their communities.
Watch the video below to hear directly from leaders across K-12 and higher education on the impact of CFEED’s work:
“Hear from leaders across Florida as they share their thoughts on CFEED’s impact and the power of data in education.”
Diverse Perspectives on CFEED’s Impact
Braulio Colon, Executive Director of Florida College Access Network (FCAN)
As Executive Director of FCAN, Braulio Colon emphasizes the critical role that community organizations play in data governance. “There is a role for community in data access and data governance,” he shares, underscoring the importance of data accessibility for communities to be part of the solution. Colon champions CFEED’s model and encourages other communities to look at expanding data access as a foundation for supporting student success across Florida.
Chanda Torres, Assistant Vice President at UCF
For Chanda Torres, the partnership between CFEED and UCF has been invaluable in her work to support students transitioning through the education pipeline. Torres notes, “I’ve had a relationship with CFEED for the past five years, especially as it relates to access at our UCF downtown campus.” Through CFEED’s data insights, she has been able to help identify and support students coming through to UCF, ensuring they see UCF as a viable option in their education journey.
Colleen C. Lockwood, Executive Director at South Florida Bridge 2 Life
Colleen Lockwood highlights the extensive reach of CFEED’s data model, which collects over 600 data points to provide actionable intelligence for educators. She explains, “They do amazing research…that helps K-12 and higher education leaders support their students’ entire journey.” This comprehensive approach helps educators better understand and support student progress, creating pathways for success from school to career.
Danielle Malfara, Coordinator of College and Career Counseling, Osceola County School District
Danielle Malfara sheds light on how CFEED’s data support simplifies her workload, allowing her to focus on meaningful student engagement. “Something has now been taken off my plate,” she explains, describing how CFEED’s data reports enable her to engage more directly with colleagues and make data-driven decisions. For her, CFEED’s model not only provides insights but also “frees up my capacity to use data as a driving factor in how we support student success.”
Ashton Terry, Senior Manager
For Ashton Terry, the summit is a reminder that “we’re all in this together,” as education leaders collaborate to find the best ways to help students succeed. He reflects on the importance of the CFEED Summit as a networking opportunity, uniting brilliant minds across institutions and creating a shared mission of collective student support.
Building Data-Driven Communities for Student Success
The CFEED Summit brought together a wide range of perspectives, all sharing a common theme: data access and community involvement are essential for supporting academic success. As Braulio Colon remarks, “CFEED is a model that communities should look to if they’re interested in expanding data access and making sure everything they do is data-informed.”
CFEED is committed to empowering educators, administrators, and community leaders with data insights that drive informed decision-making, from college access initiatives to strategic student support. As we look to the future, CFEED remains dedicated to fostering collaborations that connect communities and build sustainable, data-informed pathways for student success.
Learn More & Connect
To see how CFEED’s initiatives can benefit your institution or to get involved, visit CFEED’s Homepage and follow us on LinkedIn for updates and discussions about enhancing student success across Central Florida. For more information, please contact Diana Pienaar, CFEED Director at Valencia College, via email at dpienaar@valenciacollege.edu.
About CFEED
Central Florida Education Ecosystem Database (CFEED) is a partnership, comprised of the Helios Education Foundation, the School District of Osceola County (SDOC), Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), Valencia College (Valencia), and the University of Central Florida (UCF), along with Midtown Consulting Group, that is engaged in a collaborative program to develop insights and create impacts for students in Central Florida.