Schools have a wealth of student data, thanks in part to longitudinal-data systems that states have put in place to comply with federal and state requirements, but teachers are just beginning to learn how to use that information effectively, a report says.
The report by the New America Foundation, a Washington think tank, looks at federally funded professional-development programs in Delaware and Oregon that are training teachers on using data to improve their instruction. It says the initiatives are models that can inform other states in implementing programs.”
The authors write that many of the data points available to teachers “are not the rich, informative metrics necessary to help educators design targeted student educational plans.”
