Ever since No Child Left Behind became law, we’ve heard a lot about student assessments and school ratings and the need for basic reforms in schools not making the grade. Data-driven reforms are one of the keystones of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Race to the Top grant program offers money to states to improve their ability to use data to drive student achievement.

In a recent press release, the U.S. Department of Education cites research findings from their report, “Use of Data at the Local Level” , that stresses the importance of viewing data-driven decision making as an ongoing process for improving school performance. The report states that data systems must provide relevant diagnostic information on students’ learning needs, with the data providing a direct connection to instructional practice changes. This report also points out that to be effective, data use must be combined with human and organizational supports – put simply, teachers must be given the time and the training to connect data to improved teaching practices.

Independent education consultant Kathy Gemberling, is a recognized expert on using data to drive school reforms. She is currently the project director of The Center for Public Education’s initiative to help school boards use data effectively in their decision making. This project is a partnership between the Center and state school board associations in Illinois, Michigan and California. Gemberling will be addressing this topic in a workshop at the 2010 NSBA Annual Conference, April 10-12, in Chicago, where she will share more information related to data-driven reform initiatives. 

The Technology Leadership Network suggests you also check out the The Center’s, Good Measures for Good Schools, on which the data-driven decision making effort is based. This practical guide identifies the key questions related to school assessment and pairs them with links to the relevant national and state data.