Statement Describing How Using Data for School Improvement Supports Systemic Change in Teaching and Learning

In our increasingly global marketplace, how to effectively prepare our kids to compete in a 21st-century economy is the crucial question facing education in America. Information about individual students is a critical component in changing the way that teachers teach and students learn. In order to obtain accurate, reliable student information, states are in the process of creating statewide longitudinal data systems and data warehouses. Currently, twenty-six states have embarked on a data warehousing project (DQC 2007). The collection and management of data in conjunction with effective reporting and analysis tools plays a key role in improving teacher instruction and students’ academic achievement.

Teachers need access to data to assess the progress of their students on a regular basis in order to individualize instruction for each and every student. Robust data warehouses that contain data about a student’s academic history, discipline records, and transcript data can provide teachers with the information they need. With access to reliable data at the school level, teachers may review their own student’s test scores, including individual test questions to assess individual student understanding of specific concepts.

Additionally, researchers need access to reliable data to study the effectiveness of specific programs within schools. Research that demonstrates improved student achievement based upon the use of a particular educational technology program empowers stakeholders to effectively advocate for the program. An effective data analysis and reporting system that can help administrators identify effective programs is critical to improving student achievement,

Utilizing reporting and analysis tools enables ALL stakeholders (state agencies, districts, schools, administrators, teachers, parents, and students) to access valuable student information with the goal of improving teaching and learning. Using accurate, reliable data to individualize instruction for all students supports systemic change in teaching and learning.