Collecting data is something leaders and teachers do really well. For example, we were recently working with leaders in a small urban school district, and they told us that collecting data is never an issue because their state requires that of them. The issue? They don’t use those data to guide learning because the information is mostly summative and they receive it too late.

As we continued the conversation, most of the leaders and educators could point to spreadsheets, dashboards, or reports tracking everything from test scores to attendance. But the real challenge isn’t in collecting the data, it’s in making it meaningful.

What we did with the school and district leaders was help them move beyond using data as a compliance measure. Instead, they’re using it as a way to gain insight, drive instructional practices, and give leaders a focus for their faculty meetings and walk-throughs. We align leading and lagging indicators to their theories of action, and that approach is helping to take data from a hammer approach to more of a flashlight where leaders and teachers are learning together. In these days of uncertainty in the world, we should all want to lean in and find ways to learn from one another.

Data Becomes Evidence When It Guides the Work
The difference between data and evidence is subtle but important.

• Data are raw. They’re static. They often live in spreadsheets, unexamined.
• Evidence is what happens when those data are interpreted with purpose. It’s data that has been analyzed, discussed, and connected to student learning.

When it comes to one of the biggest focuses for schools, that of literacy improvement, this distinction matters. The goal isn’t just to gather numbers, it’s to use them to tell a story that leads to better outcomes.

We help schools use four key types of data that we have learned from Victoria Bernhardt to tell that story:

1. Demographic Data – Who are the students?
2. Perception Data – How do students and staff feel about learning?
3. Student Learning Data – How are students performing?
4. School Process Data – What systems and practices are in place?

To turn data into evidence, we look at both leading and lagging indicators within those categories.

Leading Indicators: Are we doing the right work?
These indicators help track implementation in real time. For example:

• Are grade-level teams meeting consistently to plan?
• Are teachers engaging in ongoing, literacy-focused professional learning?
• Are families actively involved in literacy through events or communication?

This is where we evaluate our inputs—the “If” statements in our theory of action. These indicators give us an early read on whether key strategies are being carried out as intended.

Lagging Indicators: Are we making a difference?
These measures are summative and show impact over time:

• Are more students reading at or above grade level?
• Are we seeing increased fluency among multilingual learners?
• Do students report feeling more confident in reading and writing?

When these results are aligned with a school’s theory of action, they offer more than just outcomes. They provide clarity about whether the strategies in place are not only active but effective.

In the End: Make the Data Work for You
Here’s a practical step to start turning data into evidence: Choose one leading and one lagging indicator and connect them directly to your current literacy strategy.
Ask your team:

• What does this indicator tell us about what we’re doing?
  
• What does it suggest about what’s working—or what needs to shift?
  

This practice moves you from instinct to insight. It builds shared understanding and helps educators see how their daily efforts contribute to larger goals. When schools commit to using data with purpose, literacy improvement becomes a regular practice that is coherent and not chaotic. And over time, that practice becomes a pathway to greater equity, stronger learning outcomes, and deeper student engagement.