Data use should be a continuous, integrated part of practice, a tool that is used all the time. Good teachers have been doing data-driven decision making all along, it just has not been recognized by that term. But there is more work to be done to ensure that educators know how to continuously, effectively, and ethically use data; that is, to help them to be data literate. Several federal laws protect student data -- most notably FERPA; teachers and other school officials should have a working knowledge of them.
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