Why Data Literacy Matters: QIP’s Newest eLearning Course
QIP recently released the first course in a series of online professional learning modules to help education professionals build data literacy skills and understand why data literacy matters in education. “Working With Education Data: Exploring Data Literacy Concepts” is available for free through QIP’s eLearning website.
Developed by QIP’s data use and instructional design experts, the course is designed for education professionals at schools, school districts, and state education agencies, as well as for education policymakers, program providers, parents, researchers, members of the media, and others with an interest in education data.
The introductory course guides participants through
- key data literacy concepts and definitions;
- scenarios that illustrate real-world education data challenges and considerations; and
- reflections on how participants can apply data literacy lessons to their work.
Why Data Literacy Matters
QIP created this course because data literacy matters for everyone in education, not just data analysts. Each person in the field—from students and their parents or guardians to counselors, educators, administrators, board members, and policymakers—must be equipped to ask the right questions about data, interpret findings, and ultimately make sound decisions based on data to help improve outcomes for students.
Individuals who are data literate can understand the many types of data used in education. They know the components of data quality and data privacy, and they can effectively discuss and use data to inform their work. They also are aware of how data can be misunderstood or misused.
“Working With Education Data: Exploring Data Literacy Concepts” introduces users to the following foundations of data literacy:
- understanding data sources and data quality;
- data analysis and interpretation;
- data-driven decision-making;
- privacy and ethics; and
- communication.
QIP’s Expertise
This course is part of QIP’s larger body of work in education data. With extensive experience in data management, analysis, and collection, QIP has long supported efforts to strengthen data literacy. “Working With Education Data: Exploring Data Literacy Concepts” builds on QIP’s support for the National Forum on Education Statistics Forum Guide publications, which address data literacy and related topics such as data quality, metadata, data visualization, and data governance. This work also builds on QIP’s support for the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) Grant Program, including the SLDS Data Use Standards outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors that educators need to use data effectively.
Future courses in the “Working With Education Data” series will expand on the data literacy skills and knowledge that different types of users who work with education data need to make informed decisions with those data. A second course designed for professionals who produce and use education data is planned for release in early 2026.
