College of Education and Human Development

Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement

Adaptive. Interdisciplinary. High-impact.

Data Analysis

CAREI is committed to data with actionable outcomes. Our experts support data collection, analytics, methods implementation, and much more to advance data-based decision-making and equitable, high-impact solutions for schools, districts, and other educational service agencies.

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Turning data to action

At CAREI, we believe that data is not just numbers and letters on a page: it is a site of possibility and change. Through our data development, management, and analysis services, we have supported school districts, educational service agencies, and educational systems turn data into informed and effective decisions, including:

  • Using data to identify and address disparities, advancing educational equity;
  • Identifying factors influencing student satisfaction, pinpointing areas for classroom enhancement;
  • Developing new measures and assessments, ensuring that tools are tailored to each district;
  • Analyzing student performance over time, identifying appropriate supports to meet student needs;
  • Using thresholds of attendance to predict levels of academic achievement, leveraging analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives aimed at improving attendance;
  • Supporting districts in analyzing their professional development training and instructional practices, helping districts assess how these factors enhance teaching and learning outcomes;
  • Leveraging data to support and strengthen CAREI's standard services, such as technical assistance, program evaluation, multi-tiered system of supports implementation, and customized literacy solutions.

Examples of our work in action

Minnesota Principals Survey

This survey was developed by CAREI to provide data to elevate principal voices, enhancing our understanding of the experiences of teachers and students. Insights from this survey support sustainable conditions for leading, learning, and teaching in Minnesota districts. The inaugural MnPS was administered in November 2021 and resulted in the publication of numerous reports and policy briefs, accessible here.

Measuring the efficacy of test design

As a school district rolls out a new standardized test in mathematics, CAREI experts can utilize psychometric tools that examine individual item performance probabilities (called Item Response Theory) to evaluate the efficacy of each question in differentiating between students of varied mathematical proficiencies. This method ensures that the test questions are suitably challenging but also accurately assess students' abilities.

Visualizing educational pathways by SLEDS

Using data from the Minnesota Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS), we've developed a dashboard that offers school districts a clear view of student educational pathways and their success in achieving economic stability ten years after entering 9th grade. This tool supports districts in making informed decisions about resource allocation, identifying effective programs, and addressing educational disparities, ensuring alignment with student needs and labor market demands.

Implementing a school progress dashboard

Using district and custom data such as student and staff survey results, turnover rates and student outcome data, we create tailored dashboards that offer districts valuable success metrics on predefined goals. By providing interactive visualizations and clear comparisons across schools, our solution helps identify strengths and areas for growth, supporting informed decision-making and continuous improvement efforts across all schools.

Evaluating teacher effectiveness

We often support districts in analyzing their teaching experience, professional development training, instructional practices, and course-specific practices. This analysis helps districts assess how these factors contribute to student growth, evaluate the effectiveness of teaching initiatives, and enhance teaching and learning outcomes.

Analyzing equity gaps for multilingual learners

We performed growth analysis on language proficiency and other academic outcomes by comparing the progress of multilingual (MLL) learners over time to that of their monolingual English peers. This involves tracking standardized reading test scores, formative assessments, and other relevant metrics. We leverage the insights gained from these analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of current MLL programs and inform decisions on curriculum adjustments, resource allocation, and instructional strategies.

Mapping Minnesota's mental health resources

With publicly available data from the Minnesota Department of Education, we analyzed student emotional and behavioral disorders and school mental health staffing from the Staff Automated Reporting (STAR) system. Using this data, we created interactive heat maps that display staff-to-student ratios by economic development regions and compare metro versus greater Minnesota areas. These visualizations provide districts with comparative insights into Minnesota's mental health resources, aiding in resource allocation and informed decisionmaking.

Our services

Data development

  • Educational measurement development
  • Survey design
  • Factor analysis
  • Measure development
  • Measure validation

Data management

  • Data management 
  • Data storage and analytics consulting
  • Large dataset analysis
  • Equitable evaluation and data analysis strategies
  • Recommendations to optimize and leverage existing data towards continuous improvement and goal-setting
  • Data dashboards
  • Data visualizations

Data analysis

  • Advanced predictive modeling
  • Longitudinal analyses
    • Student academic analysis
    • Behavior analysis
    • Attendance analysis
    • Literacy analysis
  • Growth and gap analyses
    • Opportunity gap analysis
    • Equity analysis
  • Evaluation and effectiveness analyses
    • Program evaluation
    • Teacher effectiveness

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