Oct 19, 2026 · 33 min · 10 segments
Query literacy is now part of the craft of modern Slate work. In this episode of Conference Insights Engine, David Dysart introduces the Query Ladder, a practical learning path for Slate teams that…
There is a moment in Slatework that tells you almost everything about an office.
How many admitted students from New Jersey attended an event and still have not deposited? Which applicants are missing material, but only for programs where the material is actually required? How many students first entered through the source and how many of them eventually enrolled? The questions sound straightforward, but then the room pauses.
Not because the questions are unimportant, because everyone knows the answer depends on who builds the query.
One person starts on person, another starts on application, Someone filters on a rank one address and accidentally misses the address they needed.
Someone exports all addresses but filters on only one address and cannot explain why the results look wrong.
And then that one slate person who really understands configurable joins, they become the whole reporting strategy.
But the bigger problem is that query knowledge is often concentrated in too few people, even though the institution depends on the results.
If your team depends on one person to understand the joins, you don't have a reporting strategy.
But more people need enough query literacy to understand what question they are asking, what one row is supposed to represent, where the data lives, and when the output might be misleading.
Fantastic Data and Where to Find It, Demystifying Tables, Joins, and Relationships, presented by Christy from Linfield University and Claire from Enrollment Fuel.
Yes, you need to know Configurable Joins, a beginner's guide to Configurable Joins, presented by Danielle, Paula from Post Captain Consulting, and Laura from West Chester University Graduate Admissions.
There is a moment in Slatework that tells you almost everything about an office.
How many admitted students from New Jersey attended an event and still have not deposited? Which applicants are missing material, but only for programs where the material is actually required? How many students first entered through the source and how many of them eventually enrolled? The questions sound straightforward, but then the room pauses.
Not because the questions are unimportant, because everyone knows the answer depends on who builds the query.
One person starts on person, another starts on application, Someone filters on a rank one address and accidentally misses the address they needed.
Someone exports all addresses but filters on only one address and cannot explain why the results look wrong.
And then that one slate person who really understands configurable joins, they become the whole reporting strategy.
But the bigger problem is that query knowledge is often concentrated in too few people, even though the institution depends on the results.
If your team depends on one person to understand the joins, you don't have a reporting strategy.
But more people need enough query literacy to understand what question they are asking, what one row is supposed to represent, where the data lives, and when the output might be misleading.
Fantastic Data and Where to Find It, Demystifying Tables, Joins, and Relationships, presented by Christy from Linfield University and Claire from Enrollment Fuel.
Yes, you need to know Configurable Joins, a beginner's guide to Configurable Joins, presented by Danielle, Paula from Post Captain Consulting, and Laura from West Chester University Graduate Admissions.
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