ESSA │Using Data for Improvement
Data are a critical component to state and local improvement efforts. At each stage of an improvement process—from planning, to formative reflections, to summative analyses—data provide insights that should inform decision making. When educators plan, they must use data to understand the current context and prioritize their improvement goals and corresponding strategies. When educators work to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in their improvement strategies, formative data can enlighten them as to whether course corrections should be made. Finally, when educators implement strategies over an extended period of time, data may be used to measure the longer-term impact of those strategies.
The AIR team works with clients at state and local levels to understand their improvement goals and to capitalize on their current processes for using data to drive improvement efforts. When needed, AIR develops supplemental processes, structures, and resources for enhancing data-driven improvement efforts. AIR also provides trainings at the state and local levels to support education systems better collect, analyze, understand, and apply the data needed to inform improvement.
Key Resources
AIR Centers with Related Content
AIR operates a number of national, regional, and state centers that produce publicly available resources. The centers that have a specific focus on using data for improvement are as follows:
RELATED WORK
Establishing and Sustaining Networked Improvement Communities: Lessons from Michigan and Minnesota
Defining the Problem
Data Review Tool
Root Cause Analysis Tool
Developing Measures
Survey Development
- Research Workshop Event slides
- Survey Planning Tool
- Survey Development Guidance Checklist
- Survey Planning Gantt Chart
- Writing Survey Items
Interviews and Focus Groups
- Research Workshop Event slides
- Activity 1: Write a focus group protocol
- Activity 2: Mock focus group
Interpreting the Data
Supporting Principals Using Teacher Effectiveness Data: Learning Module