Since the early 1980s with the release of reports such as A Nation at Risk, Americans have been using data to define and measure student achievement. Education data is any type of information (like student attendance, demographics, or success in college and the workforce) that helps parents, educators, and policymakers make informed decisions about education. Research indicates that using data can lead to an increase in student performance and a decrease in achievement gaps. This happens when schools use data to set up student interventions and teachers use data to inform instruction. To enable this, student data must be stored properly and used appropriately.
