Strong data literacy is essential for educational impact.
In education, data are everywhere: assessment results, enrollment trends, program participation, student progress indicators, and more. However, data alone do not guarantee insight, change, or improved outcomes for students. Many factors impact effective data use. That’s where strong data literacy comes in.
Data literacy is the practice of examining and understanding data to draw and communicate conclusions and make informed decisions. In education, data literacy involves the ability to read, interpret, analyze, and communicate data effectively and responsibly so that decisions support students, improve programs, and promote fairness, transparency, and accountability.
Data literacy is not just a technical skill. It includes the ability to
- understand what the data show;
- question assumptions and conclusions;
- communicate findings clearly; and
- understand the limits, risks, and implications of data use.
The Challenge: Understanding, Using, and Communicating Education Data
Education professionals face ongoing challenges when working with data. The data needed to answer questions may not be available. Even when they are available, they may lack quality and they may not be presented in ways that are easy to interpret or use in practice. Reports and dashboards may show charts and numbers without enough context, leaving users to guess what the data really mean. Other factors may impact data use and accessibility, such as technical barriers, complex language, or design of visualizations.
Data literate education professionals are able to use data to improve student outcomes, create responsive programming, and provide transparent accountability about how data are used.
Online Data Literacy Courses
Working With Education Data: Exploring Data Literacy Concepts
Build a foundation in data literacy. Learn to interpret education data and explore key considerations for data quality, privacy, and communication.
Self-paced | Approximately 60 minutes
Cost: FREE
For: Education professionals and others interested in using education data.
Building Data Literacy in K-12 Education: Roles, Responsibilities, and Best Practices
Explore the complementary roles and responsibilities of data producers and data users, and learn how they work together to support effective data use in education.
Self-paced | Approximately 60 minutes
Cost: $50
For: Professionals who produce or use K-12 education data.
Highlighted Resources
QIP brings extensive experience in collaborating with education data practitioners nationwide to develop data literacy resources for educators, education leaders, program staff, data stewards, technologists, researchers, and others. These QIP-supported resources inform the backbone of this course, providing clear, accessible information for every stage of effective data use.
Forum Guide to Data Literacy: A comprehensive guide that defines data literacy, explains why it matters, and highlights best practices agencies use to help diverse audiences understand and apply education data effectively.
SLDS Data Use Standards: A toolkit introducing the SLDS Data Use Standards and demonstrating how they support the full data use cycle across varying educator roles and contexts.
SLDS Data Visualization Toolkit: A practical resource outlining core principles of effective data visualization and offering guidance on presenting data clearly and meaningfully.
Forum Guide to Data Ethics: A reference guide capturing the collective experience of data managers and offering principles to support ethical, responsible data use in education agencies.
Forum Guide to Data Quality: A resource designed to help districts and states strengthen, refine, and implement high-quality data policies and practices.
Forum Guide to Data Visualization: A publication recommending clear, accurate, and actionable data visualization practices that help education agencies communicate meaning to diverse stakeholders.