SEA Data Processes Toolkit: Overview
The need for state education agencies (SEAs) to collect and report comprehensive, high-quality data from all divisions across the agency has risen exponentially in the past few years. Decisionmakers, news media, and stakeholders expect to have answers to critical questions and access to comprehensive high-quality data to support broad sweeping decisions affecting all students. It is no longer acceptable to have states report data in silos by programmatic areas, and doing so has a potential negative impact on the important research- and evidence-based programs that educators desire to promote. In addition, SEAs must share knowledge about the legal requirements for the SEA’s data within and across the agency. The collection, reporting, and analysis of state-level data involve discussions that must engage all SEA leadership.