2.4. Uses of Data

---

Once we have data, what do we do with it? We can use data  to answer many different kinds of questions. Some questions involve one of the four categories previously discussed (e.g., demographics), while some questions involve more than one (e.g., demographics and learning). In Chapter 3, you read about 10 levels of analysis that Bernhadt identifies, which involve questions that cover one to four categories and involve either a snapshot or an “over time” analysis.

As you think about questions that may lead to school improvement, you should also think about data as serving any of the following uses:

1. Providing Descriptive Information

Descriptive information often sets the ground work for other kinds of questions about data. For example, let’s say we wanted to know the racial composition of the SAT test takers in 2015. This would be a question in the “Demographics” category of Bernhardt’s model. The following table provides us with this information.

Table 2.1. Demographic Data From SAT Test Takers, 2015

Test Takers	% Population
American Indian or Alaska Native	1
Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander	12
Black or African American	13
Mexican or Mexican American	8
Puerto Rican	2
Other Hispanic, Latino, or Latin American	10
White	47
Other	4
No Response	4
Total	100

2. Exploring Group Differences

We can also use data to tell us if there are differences between groups. For example, our table above now includes scores on math and reading.

Table 2.2. SAT Test Scores for Math and Reading, 2015

Test Takers	% Population	Math Score	Reading Score
American Indian or Alaska Native	1	482	481
Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander	12	598	525
Black or African American	13	428	431
Mexican or Mexican American	8	457	448
Puerto Rican	2	449	456
Other Hispanic, Latino, or Latin American	10	457	449
White	47	534	529
Other	4	519	490
No Response	4	438	434
Total	100	511	495

3. Evaluating a Program

We can use data to determine if a program is successful in producing particular outcomes. However, there are a few cautions. First, data needs to be collected before the program begins. This is because you need baseline information to know what was happening before any kind of intervention took place. Second, you need to make sure you are actually measuring the outcome(s) in which you are interested. For example, if you want to know if an SAT prep program was successful in improving students’ math scores, you would not want to look at the total SAT score, which include math and reading and writing.

4. Tracking Growth

In education, many folks are interested in something called “value-added” assessments, which are assessments that track growth over time. You will learn more about value-added assessments in a later module.