Why teachers want more student online learning data

Of teachers who conducted live or recorded online classes, only a third said they “strongly agree” that they had the data they needed to fully support their students, a new survey has found. (GettyImages/Lorado)

Heading into the new school year, teachers crave data on online learning’s impact on students and they also want more training in how to use the information, a new survey shows.

Some 89% of teachers surveyed by the Data Quality Campaign want to know which of their students fell furthest behind this spring so interventions can be quickly developed to get those learners back on track.

And 91% of teachers said they will need to collect new data in the coming school year to effectively evaluate student progress.

However, almost half the teachers reported not having received professional development in assessing student progress during school closures. Yet, a majority of educators said the training would have been useful and they would like that support in the future, the survey found.

More from DA: How student-teacher relationships can prevent a lost school year

Of teachers who conducted live or recorded online classes, only a third said they “strongly agree” that they had the data they needed to support their students.

A majority of teachers reported collecting homework and measuring class participation but fewer said they were able to monitor student progress toward standards or collect assessment data.

Student data in the new school year

An overwhelming majority of teachers (82%) said they will be able to provide high-quality online learning if they have adequate data, resources and training.

Looking back on building closures, the survey found that teachers want to start the new school year with the following information:

• Which online teaching methods were most successful: 65%
• Amount of academic progress made by students: 61%
• Number of hours students spent engaged in online learning: 57%
• Ability of different groups of students to engage in online learning: 54%
• Learning time lost to school closures: 23%

A slight majority of teachers also said that state assessments and others high-stakes tests should not return in the 2020-21 school year.

More from DA: How parents and teachers rated online learning

The survey also offered the following resources for teachers looking to learn more about using data:

• Data Literacy 101 offers resources educators can use to build data proficiency.
• Mr. Maya’s Data-Rich Year covers a principal’s use of data to set and meet educational goals.
• Ms. Bullen’s Data-Rich Year follows a teacher’s and student’s use of data to measure and communicate academic progress.

DA’s coronavirus page offers complete coverage of the impacts on K-12.