Politicians from both sides of the aisle, along with educators and nonprofit leaders, recently met at an event sponsored by the Data Quality Campaign and College Summit to discuss the importance of using data to support the college- and career-ready agenda. College Summit’s founder J.B. Schramm, who released a paper entitled “Seizing the Measurement Moment” with E. Kinney Zalesne, commented that community-initiated postsecondary feedback system efforts are inefficient and that states need to take the lead.

“Only states have the incentive, the means, the impartiality, and the stamina to get this information in the hands of educators,” he said.

Some states, with significant federal support, have made progress in building these data systems in the past six years, but more needs to be done, he said.

Once the information is gathered on student success after high school, Mr. Schramm said, it needs to be available in a user-friendly format for parents, the business community, and policymakers to make sound decisions about the rigor of curriculum and teaching.

Knowing how students fare in college can help K-12 identify weaknesses in curriculum, such as the need for more math requirements or more rigorous writing instruction. That information can also relieve colleges from having to invest as much in developmental education and, ultimately, fortify the workforce, the College Summit report suggests.

The Nation's Report Card 2011

International Reading Association Research Resources