Strategic Data Use in Education

To help educators use data to improve teachers’ effectiveness and increase students’ college readiness, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded an evaluation of progress from investments in four initiatives: the Strategic Data Project, Education Pioneers, National Student Clearinghouse pilot, and Teacher Student Data Link project. These initiatives supported the strategic use of education data at the state and district levels. Mathematica’s evaluation examined the implementation, key challenges, and promising strategies of these initiatives. Using a qualitative design, Mathematica’s evaluators interviewed key stakeholders to assess implementation progress and surveyed school administrators who participated in one of the initiatives. The evaluation included a literature review and development of a strategic data use conceptual framework.