Course Overview

In this course, participants will learn data literacy and inquiry methods necessary for effective data utilization within a K12 school setting. They will demonstrate knowledge and skills through a series of interactive simulations that address a variety of data utilization purposes, such as identifying strengths and weaknesses for a group of students, monitoring progress toward an end-of-year goal for an individual student, and differentiating instruction.

The course includes 13 modules. Modules 1-4 address foundational knowledge essential for effective data utilization. Modules 5-13 are hands-on scenarios representing specific data use purposes in education. Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) data use standards have been identified and goals have been established for each part of each module, with the exception of a couple parts in introductory portions of Module 1.

Course content is structured a bit like a funnel. The broad and foundational modules at the beginning flow into more narrow and specific modules as participants progress through the curriculum. In module 1, participants will be introduced to common data types in educational settings, such as demographic, student learning, perception, school process, and behavior data. Assessment, evaluation, and research as methods of disciplined inquiry that require the use of data are briefly covered; most, perhaps all, data use purposes in educational settings could be classified as one or more of these inquiry methods. In module 2, the focus narrows into an overview of knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors as standards required to be an effective data user for assessment, evaluation, or research purposes; key standards are operationalized using the A+ Inquiry framework to synthesize the standards. In module 3, the focus narrows into specific school initiatives that require data utilization for various assessment and evaluation purposes; questions guiding data use processes aligned with these initiatives are also highlighted. In module 4, the focus narrows further into the use of student learning data by creating an assessment calendar representing different types of student learning data for various formative and summative purposes. Each remaining module represents a narrowed focus on the application of A+ Inquiry to navigate a specific data use scenario identified in the assessment calendar.