A Teacher's Guide to Educational Data Chats
by Elizabeth Tricquet
Teachers are swimming in data these days. They are flooded with assessment scores (interim, formative, and summative), exit tickets, assignment grades, behavior logs, and attendance records.
But here's the thing: having all that information doesn't automatically lead to better outcomes.
Real educational magic happens when educators know how to analyze what the data is saying and share it in ways that help students grow. There are practical strategies for turning those overwhelming data points into meaningful conversations that strengthen your relationships with students, parents, and administrators.
Digging Into the Data
Teachers are like detectives gathering clues by collecting different types of evidence, not just test scores, but also demographic information along with student performance data. Teachers should also collect data on behavior, engagement, and how students feel about their learning.
Before data can be shared effectively, teachers need to understand what it's telling them. The U.S. Department of Education has a five-step framework that takes the guesswork out of data analysis:
- Setting the Stage: Ask questions like “What do I want to know about student performance? What data do I need to answer the question? What information do I have available?”
- Examining the Data: Once you know the questions you want to answer and have collected multiple data points, it is time to dig in. As you examine the data, ask, “Are there any patterns in the data? Can I make any observations about the data?” Make sure your observations are free from assumptions or inferences.
- Understanding the Findings: Look for data points that are easily actionable and can make a difference in student performance, such as ensuring basic student needs are met before instruction. Ask “What are possible reasons for the patterns?”
- Developing an Action Plan: Develop SMART goals that will improve student outcomes. Ask "What are the next steps to address the issue?”
- Monitoring Progress and Measuring Success: Student performance should be monitored to ensure adequate progress. This monitoring must also ensure that any interventions put in place are effective. Ask "How will I know if the action plan is effective? Are there additional strategies we need to implement?”
When digging into the data, it can be easy to look at one bad assessment result or one good assignment score and jump to the conclusion that you’ve identified the problem or solution. Instead, take a step back and look for patterns over time. Are your students consistently struggling with word problems but excelling at computation? Is there a particular time of year when engagement drops? These trends tell a richer story than any single data point.
Also, keep in mind that all data has limitations. For example, standardized assessments on different scales cannot be used to track growth over time.
Talking Data with Students
Now that you have dug into the data, it’s time to share data with students. The goal isn’t just to show students the numbers; it’s to engage them with data in ways that make it personally meaningful and move them toward growth.
Make it Meaningful: Know what students care about. How do the numbers help them achieve their goals? Why should they care? Interview students or assign an interest inventory. Some students are extrinsically motivated by rewards such as trophies and school bucks; others are intrinsically motivated by how the data helps them achieve their goals and dreams.
An example: instead of saying to a student, “Your Lexile level is 980,” you might say “Your Lexile level improved 30 points and you are getting closer to range needed to successfully complete the medical assistant program.” In this second case, the feedback is about the student getting closer to their goal, which makes the learning meaningful.
Build a Growth Mindset: How you present information can support growth. When you frame it through a growth mindset lens, you reinforce the idea that learning and improvement are continuous processes. Remind students that their brains are like muscles, becoming stronger with practice and effort. Teachers should strive to foster a growth mindset, helping students believe their skills and intelligence can develop over time. As Stanford University notes, “when students have a growth mindset, they are more likely to challenge themselves, believe that they can achieve more, and become stronger, more resilient and creative problem solvers.”
An example of growth mindset feedback is "You've improved your problem-solving skills by 15% since the beginning of the year, and here's what we're going to work on next.” Instead of saying only "You got a 70% on this test,” you are now providing feedback about the student’s learning journey and not the destination.
One strategy for promoting a growth mindset and getting students involved in data chats is to get your students involved in tracking their own progress. Give them data journals or let them create their own charts. When kids can see their growth visually, something clicks. They start to own their learning in a way that's exciting to see. And here's a key phrase to keep in your back pocket: "You haven't mastered this skill yet." That little word "yet" is like magic; it tells kids that struggle is temporary, and growth is always possible.
Model and Celebrate Effort: Teachers can also model effort and how improvement or expertise comes from practice. It is important to celebrate effort and improvement along with achievement. The ultimate goal is to see improvement on assessment scores or assignments; but along the way, it’s equally important for students to learn about persistence and hard work so they can achieve growth.
Bringing Parents into the Data Conversation
Talking about data with parents is also important. These conversations can sometimes feel intimidating, especially when discussing student performance. The key is making these conversations collaborative, not just informational. Conversations with parents can be opportunities to create powerful partnerships that contribute to student success. Sharing data with parents allows a window into the classroom as well as an opportunity to understand their child’s strengths and needs. These conversations also give the teacher insight into the child’s life outside of school. By working together, all parties have a fuller picture of the student.
Begin with Strengths: One tip is to start every data conversation with what's students’ strengths or what’s going well. Parents need to hear what their child is doing right before you dive into areas that need work. Then, when you do share concerns, put everything in context. Help parents understand how their child's performance aligns to grade-level expectations, so they're not left wondering if their child is way behind or right on track.
Make Data Actionable: It is important to make any data you share with parents easy to understand and actionable. Provide parents with specific tools and strategies they can try at home while keeping in mind each family has its own unique needs. After providing information to parents, it is vital to make this collaborative relationship and data sharing an ongoing process. Teachers and parents have now become a team with the end goal of student progress.
Keeping Your Administrator in the Loop
School administrators are accountable for data in their schools and districts, but they do not have the opportunity to understand the full perspective of students or classrooms without your support. When sharing data with your principal or other administrators, think of yourself as telling the story of your classroom. They want to see both the big picture and the details, but they also need to understand your thought process behind the numbers.
It may be helpful to use the U.S. Department of Education’s Framework and SMART goals above to guide your discussion. Administrators love seeing that you're thinking systematically about student progress and that you have concrete plans for moving forward.
Administrators appreciate teachers who are proactive about communication. Don't wait for your administrator to ask how things are going, including both celebrations and concerns. Show administrators that you’re not just identifying problems; you're actively working to solve them.
When data becomes a regular part of how you operate, rather than something scary you pull out for evaluations, everything changes. The Department of Education puts it well: “using data strategically to guide decisions and actions can have a positive effect on education practices and processes."
The data tells part of the story, but your expertise provides the context that makes it meaningful. Balance those test scores with what you observe about student engagement, cultural factors, and individual circumstances to create solutions. When teachers, students, parents, and administrators work together with shared information and common goals, that's when data becomes a powerful force for helping kids succeed.
About the author
Elizabeth Tricquet has over two decades of experience in education. In her current role as Lead Learning Designer at Edmentum, Elizabeth is passionate about developing effective, high-quality resources for students and teachers.
Elizabeth has worked at Edmentum since 2016 in a variety of positions including Content Designer, Assessment Specialist, and Learning Designer. She has worked on a variety of products including Exact Path, Study Island, and Benchmark Assessments.
Prior to working at Edmentum, Elizabeth had nearly 10 years of experience in the classroom teaching grades 1, 3 and 4 with a focus on helping struggling readers and students with learning difficulties. While teaching, Elizabeth earned her National Board Certification for Early and Middle Grades Literacy. She then worked at the Florida Department of Education's Test Development Center as an ELA Content Specialist. During that time, Elizabeth worked on state-wide summative assessments.
