An increasing number of states are expanding the way they use student and school data, according to a new report by a Washington-based nonprofit that advocates using data to improve student achievement.
Among the report’s findings:
- Teachers this year can access information about their students through secure websites or portals in 35 states, an increase from 28 in 2011.
- In 17 states, teacher-training programs can tap into information about how their graduates are performing in the classroom, up from six in 2011.
- Parents in 14 states can access electronic data about their children.
- Thirty-one states use data to identify the students most at risk of academic failure or dropping out, up from 18 in 2011.
The survey was taken in the summer and includes results from the District of Columbia and every state except California, which declined to participate.
The report also highlights challenges for schools and states handling student data, such as the need to ensure privacy. Oklahoma, for example, passed legislation this year establishing safeguards around the collection and use of student data.
And several states that had signed up to work with inBloom, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that collects and stores student data for districts, have since backed off because of security concerns. In New York, parents are suing to stop the state education department from working with inBloom.
