Teachers Know Best: Making Data Work for Teachers and Students

This study, commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, surveyed more than 4,600 teachers seeking to understand how teachers use data to tailor instruction and the challenges they encounter with the tools intended to support data-driven instruction in the classroom. Although 91 percent of teachers agreed that data tools play an important role in today’s classrooms, they generally reported feeling overwhelmed by the amount of data available, and sought more nuanced data results and greater guidance. In addition to offering recommendations to teaching staff on effective use of data, this report shares ideas with product developers on improving data-driven educational tools.