Report Measures Progress on State’s Education Data Systems

Data is an essential tool for teachers and school leaders as they work to bring about positive student learning outcomes.  Last year MBAE Board Member Beth Gamse blogged about a report from the national Data Quality Campaign (DQC) on states’ progress towards implementing strong and effective data systems. The report showed that Massachusetts had made demonstrable progress on only 5 of the 10 state actions that ensure effective use of data.

Last week the DQC released its 2012 findings and  Massachusetts has only made progress on one additional measure: promoting strategies to raise awareness of available data and ensuring that all key stakeholders, including state policymakers, know how to access analyze and use the information. See Massachusetts complete ranking below (√- Action Met, X- Action Not Met).

X  Linked Data Systems-  has not expanded the ability of state longitudinal data systems to link across the P-20 education    pipeline and across state agencies

√  Create stable and sustained support

√ Develop governance structures

√  Build state data repositories

X  Implement systems to provide timely access to information- does not ensure that data can be accessed, analyzed, and used.

X  Create progress reports using individual student data to improve student performance

√ Create reports using longitudinal statistics to guide systemwide improvement efforts

√  YES- Develop a P-20/workforce research agenda

X  Promote educator professional development and credentialing

√  Promote strategies to raise awareness of available data

The detailed report highlights critical areas where Massachusetts data systems do not meet the needs of the Commonwealth. For example the DQC identified that teachers and stakeholders do not have tailored reports using student-level longitudinal data and that data about educators is not automatically shared with educator preparation programs.

While MBAE commends the state on its progress, the effective use of data is critical to the Commonwealth’s achievement of college and career readiness for all students. We must continue to improve access to the high quality data needed to achieve the educational outcomes that are critical to the Massachusetts community.