Publicly reporting timely, actionable, and comprehensible data is one of the most powerful ways states can promote transparency, strengthen accountability, and ensure that everyone with a stake in education—parents, educators, policymakers, researchers, and members of the public and press—has access to the information they need to make good decisions. It is also one of the most visible ways states can demonstrate the tremendous value of their data systems. Currently, however, public reporting efforts in most states are geared toward compliance with state and federal laws, rather than being intentionally designed to meet people’s needs. Consequently, most publicly reported data go unseen or unused, limiting their ability to promote and support improvements in student achievement and system performance.
The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) has produced a series on public reporting that provides recommendations for everyone with a stake in education so that they are able to find trustworthy, easy-to-understand education data in order to make informed decisions for improved student achievement.
- Empowering Parents and Communities through Quality Public Reporting: A Brief for State Policymakers
- Quality Public Reporting Informs Decisions, Empowers Action
- Empowering Parents and Communities through Quality Public Reporting: Federal Policy Guide
- Don’t Make Decisions in the Dark: Parents
- Don’t Make Decisions in the Dark: Superintendents and Principals
- Don’t Make Decisions in the Dark: Local School Board Members
