Data for Equity
Data work is equity work.
Leaders can’t address problems they can’t see. To ensure that individuals, communities, and institutions receive the resources and support they need, leaders at all levels must use P–20W data—early childhood, K–12, postsecondary and workforce—to examine both opportunities and outcomes for all students across education and workforce. Data can and should be used to ensure that every person has equitable access to opportunities that can help them be successful throughout their education and into careers.
Data Advances Equity
For years, Black students and other students of color, rural students, non-traditional students, and others have faced inequities in their treatment and opportunities to learn. The first step in addressing these inequities is data. Data should be used as a tool to understand how to meet the needs of people as they navigate through education and into the workforce. The only way that policymakers and community advocates can identify areas for improvement and who needs the most support is with data that is linked across the P–20W system, broken down by student group—or disaggregated—and timely. It is not enough to collect education and workforce data—it must be used to inform decisionmaking that fosters equitable education outcomes and life-sustaining careers.
Using Data to Address Equity
To ensure that individuals have access to equitable opportunities that lead to success in education and beyond, policymakers must take steps to use data to address equity issues in the following ways:
Leaders need the full picture to help guide decisionmaking in ways that best support individuals, communities and educators—and seeing the full picture requires multiple data points. A single indicator uncovers one facet of the problem, but using additional data points places that indicator in context, uncovering areas for improvement, persistent challenges, and even success stories. Decisionmakers must examine multiple data points to ensure that potential solutions promote equitable access to opportunities for all groups of students.
Leaders do not need to wait for state and federal law to collect and report on indicators above and beyond what’s legally required. To advance equity, leaders should look to indicators such as growth measures, bilingual recognition for students, access to diverse educators and leadership, school and university climate and culture, and preparedness for transitions to postsecondary and workforce. Seeking out this information will increase their understanding of how well all individuals are prepared to make post-high school transitions and allow them to create equitable policies and practices.
Individuals navigating education and the workforce, their families, and communities should all have access to data that provides insights to inform their decisionmaking. When individuals have access to information on how well schools and postsecondary institutions are preparing students with similar backgrounds for life transitions, they are able to make informed decisions about their futures. And in order to identify patterns, direct resources where they’re needed most, and pursue system improvements for all students, leaders must have access to this information.
Leaders at all levels should consider ways to bring diverse and representative populations to the table. Leaders can accomplish this by making staffing decisions that represent the communities they are serving—ensuring that representation exists at every decisionmaking level, including governing and advisory boards. Leaders should also consider ways to engage with diverse groups of students, teachers and professors, and community members—including individuals of different races and ethnicities, ages, and ability and income levels—to gather their perspectives on equitable data collection, access, and use.
States Prioritizing Data for Equity
States are taking action to advance data use for equity
New Jersey
New Jersey’s State Seal of Biliteracy recognizes students who speak more than one language, including those whose first or primary language was not English. This data is reported on their annual school report card, showing an example of how states can share this information with the public and prioritize indicators that recognize the assets that students bring to the classroom.
Michigan
As part of Michigan’s efforts to ensure that 60% of Michigan adults obtain a postsecondary degree or certificate by 2030, state leaders track and publicly report their progress. MI School Data highlights disaggregated data on both the percentage of students who enrolled in a postsecondary or certificate program that did not finish and how close they were to completion, and on the impact of remedial coursework on academic success. Indicators like these—broken down by student group so leaders can identify the needs of different groups of students—help Michigan policymakers better understand where to focus future investments.
Featured Resources
More on Data for Equity
Data 101
Data is one of the most powerful tools to inform, engage, and create opportunities for individuals along their journey through education and into the workforce—and it‘s much more than test scores.
About Us
We advocate to change the role of data to ensure that data works for everyone navigating their education and workforce journeys.
