School systems can be data rich and information poor if they do not understand and manage their data effectively. The task for school leaders is to put existing data into a format that lends itself to answering questions and improving outcomes for the students. Common barriers to transforming data into knowledge in education settings often include poorly designed or nonexistent data systems; disorganized record management; moody gatekeepers--data mavericks--who hold back data to preserve power; or personnel who simply fail to ask the right questions of the available data. Fortunately, learning to deal with data does not require an advanced degree in statistics. In most cases, using data effectively simply requires a desire to improve outcomes for students, staff members, and schools and a willingness to stop doing the same old things while hoping for a different outcome. Educators also borrow best practices from data industry leaders to take advantage of state-of-the-art data management technologies to plan strategically for the future. Data management is a concept that many educators are just learning, but it is a requisite skill for leaders who must make sound decisions at the school and district level. Educators can learn much from corporations and providers who have used data to make informed decisions for many years. The similarities between a corporation's and a school's approach to data analysis are quite clear. Strong leaders must remember that the final goal is to analyze information and gain the insight to improve processes, procedures, and learning outcomes--and ultimately to make a difference in the lives of the students they teach.