With better data, these 12 things would improve, survivors say

Key points:

Access to data is critical when educators need to make informed decisions about curriculum, assessments, academic and social-emotional interventions, and more. So how do superintendents use data? Can they quickly and efficiently access and use them?

TO national survey Building on the Data Quality Campaign and AASA, the Association of School Superintendents surveyed district superintendents to find out how they use data to support their students and schools.

Data is an important part of superintendents’ decision-making and provides insight into student and school performance. Data gives school and district leaders confidence that students are on track for success.

Still, despite their current data-driven insights, superintendents say they want access to more data.

These are some of the main lessons from that survey:

1. Ninety-eight percent of superintendents say they would be more confident in their ability to make decisions for their district if they had better access to information.

2. Ninety-nine percent of superintendents believe state data could be more useful. This type of state data could become more useful with tools to help superintendents
act on the information and further training and ongoing support to analyze, report and communicate the data.

3. Ninety-three percent of superintendents say they have started collecting new data during the pandemic, and nearly all (94 percent) who have started new data collection agree: new data gives them insights and useful knowledge.

4. Ninety-two percent of superintendents agree that data on student learning and academic progress is an important part of getting kids back on track after the pandemic.

5. Eighty-seven percent say they can find all the data they need to understand whether their school is effectively preparing students for next steps. Twelve percent have only an anecdotal understanding of what happened to some students after they left.

6. Superintendents are using data to make changes and share information with communities. Almost all report using disaggregated data in some way: 95 percent use disaggregated data at least once during the year and 25 percent use disaggregated data once a week or more.

7. Superintendents are using disaggregated data to identify gaps in student achievement systemwide (53 percent), to identify schools and school leaders that need support (52 percent), to evaluate teaching and inform development professional, to monitor progress toward state and federal requirements. (49 percent) and sharing information with families and the community (43 percent).

8. Ninety-four percent trust that the data their state provides accurately reflects their school’s performance. They use data from their state’s summative assessments in the following ways: to determine with the leadership team what needs to change or improve in their district (66 percent), to inform conversations with their school board (60 percent), to share information with parents and the community (56 percent), and talking to their principals about their schools (53 percent).

9. Superintendents say they think state data could be more useful: 99 percent feel that way. In particular, changes that would make data more useful include more useful tools or technology that allow them to see patterns and changes in their data, linked data across agencies, and more training and ongoing support on how to interpret and use data well.

10. One in four superintendents still seek greater access to data. More than half of this group wants data from their state on the outcomes of students in their district after finishing high school.

11. Ninety-one percent of superintendents believe that different public agencies should securely share information with each other about students and their families to coordinate services and resources and help support families.

12. Eighty-five percent of superintendents believe schools should securely share information about a student’s academic needs with trusted organizations outside of the school.

Laura Ascione is the editorial director of eSchool Media. She graduated from the prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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