Research and Measurement Guide

It is important to communicate your findings in a way that is clear and coherent for your target audience(s). Consider what your audience already knows and what you want them to learn. Whether providing findings through a written report, presentation, infographic, or video, communicate succinctly, with accuracy, and with your evidence.

Spreadsheet programs such as Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel make it easy to quickly build charts and figures. Data visualizations can then communicate different trends. However, just because you can build anything with the push of a button does not mean any chart will suffice.

Beyond charts and figures, tables can communicate multifaceted information such as descriptive statistics (e.g., range, mean, standard deviation) or comparisons between a targeted subpopulation and the broader population. An important factor to consider is what will be the most accurate way to visually share the data with your audience that is accurate, user-friendly, and easy to understand.

The strategy below provides examples of how to build meaningful data visualizations:

Example:

Imagine that the student population is relatively divided based on race, but you want to illustrate discovered racial discrepancies across different types of academic courses. The table below (using “dummy data”) illustrates how Asian and White students are overrepresented in Advanced Placement (AP) and honors courses while Black and Latino/a students are overrepresented in remedial courses. By displaying the enrollment percentages alongside data about the broader student population, your table signals the presence of an equity issue.

Table 1: Students Enrolled in AP, Honors, and Remedial Courses as Compared to the Population

Source: XYZ High School Student Records Database

Identifying and Presenting Key Findings, Highlights, Trends, and Recommendations

With all of your data analyzed and visualized, communicating to stakeholders and your broader community can feel overwhelming. When preparing to present your findings to stakeholders, we recommend the following steps:

1. Answer your research question(s): Begin by writing a short (one-paragraph) answer for each research question and then consider a larger synopsis of the evidence.

2. Identify key trends: Develop a brief narrative that identifies and explains themes that emerged across research questions. Think about your purpose and objectives, and explain how you achieved them based on your analysis.

3. Provide context: Help people understand your findings as they relate to other contexts. You may discuss similar systems, districts, schools, or even classrooms that have found or applied similar findings.

4. Make recommendations: Provide actionable suggestions for how these findings should be used moving forward.

As you prepare to present your findings, ensure that you communicate in a manner that is understandable to all stakeholders as there may be varying levels of knowledge. We recommend:

• Keep it simple;

• Use visual aids (when appropriate, and make adjustments to accommodate stakeholders who may have visual differences);

• Stick to the relevant findings (not the metaphorical ‘kitchen sink’ of what you discovered); and

• Address any limitations in your inquiry/research (e.g., short duration, small sample size, deviation from your original plan).

The following guidance may help when preparing to share your findings with stakeholders:

Sharing Findings in Different Formats

Although a federal grant or a project funder may require a formal research report, most stakeholders do not have the time or the bandwidth to wade through one. To best communicate about your project, think first about the structure of your findings and then how your intended stakeholder audience would prefer to engage with the information. Consider the examples and rationales below:

• Report: Building Community and Capacity: The Effects of the First Year of LUSD’s Teacher Residency Program - Prepared as part of a federal grant, this report answers the defined research questions, relates the findings to an overarching framework, and then discusses next steps to inform decision-making.

• Executive Summary: Learning Found, Not Lost - Examining Learner Growth and Supports in LUSD During and Beyond the COVID-19 Crisis - A well-designed executive summary can clearly and efficiently communicate key findings and serve as a way to socialize a measurement project with key stakeholders. In this example, the executive summary focuses on the key findings and recommendations from research projected based on a mixed-methods survey. The full report then included extensive details about the analysis.

• Data Sheets: Teacher Creativity Survey Pilot Observations - To clearly communicate findings to the broader field, these data sheets communicate the context and relevant findings, primarily using charts and figures. A detailed set of appendix slides offer additional information about methodology and analysis should someone be interested.

• Strategy Memo: System Conditions and Strategies to Support Accelerated Learning - Particularly if the goal is to communicate findings to decision-makers so they can take informed action, a strategy memo presents a different format. This example situates the findings from the research team within the broader national context to both add to the credibility of the measurement work and provide the district with larger insights.

Research does not culminate with the presentation of findings. The true impact of research findings is contingent upon how they are leveraged to advance equitable change. The following are examples of how findings can be leveraged to support continuous improvement, strategic planning, decision-making, and advocacy.

Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement is an ongoing process that requires regularly visiting and revisiting defined objectives and goals as well as ensuring strategy alignment to drive and monitor change. With a continuous improvement plan, the research process routinely returns to the beginning (all the way back to the start of the blueprint). With each iteration, new findings should lead to new improvements.

The following resource provides a framework for practicing continuous improvement:

• Conditions for Success & Scale

Strategic Planning

The findings from measurement projects can impact strategic planning in a number of ways. They can be used to: inform the planning project, support continuous improvement during implementation, and evaluate the success of a plan. Integrating measurement into a strategic planning process can increase the capacity of districts and schools to adapt and respond to the ever-changing needs of their communities. Good data and strong data analysis are critical to the success and relevance of a strategic plan and ultimately evaluate whether it led to the intended outcomes.

The following resources provide strategies to help with strategic planning:

Leadership Decision-Making

Inquiry-based investigations or measurement projects can contribute to shared vision-making as well as inform next steps in the decision-making process. By collecting and analyzing rich, descriptive data, decisions can be made based on evidence and with equity in mind – especially as it relates to nuances found in your targeted subpopulations. With the right findings, you and your team are better positioned to communicate, collaborate, and make informed decisions.

The following Insight offers suggestions for managing change processes and decision-making as an educational leader:

Data Advocacy

Data plays an integral role in informing districts, schools, and communities about successful trends as well as in identifying critical areas for improvement. It can also play an important function in advocating for change. Used responsibly, data can be leveraged to advance equity and wellbeing, support claims, and show why a specific change is needed. When supported by data, advocacy efforts can help align and advise new policies – and revise current ones that affect whether students experience an equitable, effective, and engaging education.

The following resource provides useful strategies for leveraging data to engage in advocacy:

• Data Advocacy Guide

Bridging Research, Practice, and Policy

A disconnect often presents itself in the education sector between research, practice, and policy. Measurement projects often fail to communicate findings in a way to inform either practice or policy. At the same time, practitioners and policymakers often lack the evidence and/or resources they require to make informed decisions. By carefully considering not just how to communicate your findings but what you want to do with them, you can start to bridge the gap between research, practice, and policy.

Bridging research, practice, and policy should be a cyclical process that begins with integrating research findings, practical applications, and policymaking to drive evidence-based decisions and ultimately improve students’ experiences in education.

The following are additional resources, reports, and guides to use when considering future measurement projects:

Access TLA's Digital Equity Guide for additional insights and resources to help ensure every student has the tools and supports to thrive as learners – even beyond basic technology access.

This resource is offered to the field through a Creative Commons CC-BY License. Suggested citation is as follows:

Ford, V., Atkinson, C., & Holland, B. (2023). Research & Measurement Guide: A Resource for School & System Leaders. The Learning Accelerator. Portland, ME.

Do you have your own measurement stories and resources to share? Have questions? Contact the team at info@learningaccelerator.org.