Utah gets almost perfect score on using data for student achievement

Utah gets almost perfect score on using data for student achievement

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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's use of data in monitoring and guiding student achievement made several improvements this year, earning the state an almost perfect score on a report by the Data Quality Campaign released Thursday.

Specifically, Utah is "leading the nation" in its efforts to link K-12 data systems with postsecondary education and workforce data systems to find long-term trends in student progress, according to Aimee Guidera, executive director of the Data Quality Campaign, a national education advocacy group.

"We're seeing across the country a change in culture from one that's focused on using data for compliance to one that uses it … to ensure that every child is on track for success," Guidera said. "We have a lot to learn from the work that Utah has done."

The report rates each state based on 10 actions, including linking K-12 data systems with other state agencies for research purposes; developing governance structures to guide data collection and use; providing secure and timely access to data; and raising awareness of available data.

Arkansas, Kentucky and Delaware are the only states that currently comply with all 10 actions. Utah is among seven other states that comply with nine actions.

Utah's new year-end assessment system, SAGE, forms a large portion of the data used by educators and state officials for monitoring student achievement at an aggregate level. Other data sources include enrollment, absenteeism, demographic makeups, gender, special education statistics and online coursework, according to Aaron Brough, data and statistics manager at the Utah State Office of Education.


We're seeing a change in culture from one that's focused on using data for compliance to one that uses it … to ensure that every child is on track for success.

–Aimee Guidera, Data Quality Campaign


This year, the only element of the report Utah did not complete was sharing annual teacher performance data with educator preparation programs. But the Utah State Office of Education is in the process of implementing a new teacher evaluation program that looks at student growth, observations from principals and a community survey.

The system is expected to be complete next year, which will put Utah in line with each of the actions listed by the Data Quality Campaign, according to Brough.

"We should be getting a 10 next year," he said.

While the report gives the results of a nationwide survey and does not insist on mandatory compliance, it does provide suggestions for the Utah State Office of Education and other agencies looking for ways to improve how data is collected and used, Brough said.

"We'll look at where we're falling short, and truthfully, you look at it with a grain of salt, saying, 'How important is it for us to allocate resources to be in line with all this?'" he said. "There is quite a bit of emphasis on using data (as) the evidence of best practices."

Last year's report detailed two other areas where improvement was needed, specifically in securing funding for sustained support of longitudinal data systems and providing role-based access to data.

On the last day of the 2014 Legislature, state lawmakers passed SB34, which allocated state funds to support the Utah Data Alliance, the state's primary initiative to link K-12 data with other agencies for longitudinal research.

Since then, the alliance has participated in a number of data-driven initiatives, including evaluating students' preparedness for postsecondary education and the workforce, as well as efforts by the governor's office to address intergenerational poverty, according to alliance project manager Albert Tay.

The state has also made strides in improving access to data for teachers and parents, with a special effort to ensure that information is shared appropriately and that student confidentiality is maintained, Brough said.

"There is an effort to make sure that all of our data usage is transparent of what we're doing (and that) it has secure governance and security policies in place to help the confidence of parents, the Legislature and the general public as a whole," he said. "We take very seriously the job to make sure the students' data is very secure. It's exactly who has access and who has access to what and to what level."

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Morgan Jacobsen

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