Now, the Education Commission of the States reports that 35 states require schools to make some kind of report about their performance to their communities. In some states, the reports are little more than just telling the public about results on statewide tests. But, increasingly, states are requiring schools to use data-based decisions to guide their school improvement efforts. Ariz. For educators who want to do more work with data, the question, then is how to do it. Sandee Crowther, who oversees evaluation and standards in Lawrence, Kansas, points to a circular cycle for data-based decisions.
Standardized tests are generally part of every school's package of data.
Schools also ought to collect data on attendance, discipline, scores on the SAT and ACT, graduation rates and any other key indicators in the district. Teachers can be recruited to collect data in their classrooms about individual schools issues. For example, at Weseman's school, teachers were particularly concerned about the number of student visits to the health clinic, so they began to tally those to see what they might learn. Crowther urges districts to use multiple sources of data. Her preference is at least three sources for each area of focus.