Using Data to Inform Decisions

An essential skill American students to expected to master under Common Core State Standards is the ability to use text-based evidence to support claims. Educators--especially educational leaders--also need to develop this skill.  Technology increases educational leaders' access to evidence which comes in the form of data and research.  Data and research (which includes data) can be used to help educational leaders make informed decisions across a range of settings.  For example, data is used to:

• Identify students in need of academic interventions in classrooms
  
• Monitor attendance trends in schools
  
• Assess the effectiveness of curriculum rollouts in districts
  
• Identify student populations in need of additional support in states
  
• Predict the skills of the future workforce in a country
  
• Compare education systems of multiple countries
  

In the same way students are expected to check the validity of sources of textual evidence, it is important that leaders, across all of these settings, understand the sources of the data they use.  Data from a biased source--such as a vendor or racist stakeholder group--can be manipulated to persuade leaders to support a decision which may not equitably benefit student groups.  Additionally, it is essential that educational leaders remain mindful of the actual data sources--the students.  Strong leaders make decisions on behalf of the students they serve by analyzing data in context.    ​