Making Midyear Decisions: Using Data to Make Decisions in New York

Midyear literacy data gives New York elementary school leaders the opportunity to turn information into action that can make an impact on student reading proficiency. By this point in the year, administrators may understand which instructional routines have taken hold, how intervention groups are responding, where instruction varies, and which students require different approaches. The right tools and data points can help leaders better connect the dots and show gaps in instruction or implementation.

Administrators must show the effect that reading interventions are having on students. New York State’s literacy leadership framework asks school and district leaders to connect assessment directly to instruction, examine both aggregate and disaggregated data, and build systems that serve every learner. This requires leaders to look beyond composite scores and take a deeper look at how multiple student groups are performing, including multilingual learners, students with learning differences, and struggling readers.

This practical midyear guide helps New York elementary administrators:

• Evaluate their literacy programs

• Identify where students and teachers need more targeted support

• Prioritize instruction, staffing, scheduling, and equity-related decisions for the second half of the year

The guide also includes a ready-to-use checklist to help administrators review data collection, implementation quality, equity and differentiation approaches, and teacher support.

Download the guide to move from “What does the data say?” to  “What should we change now?” while there is still time to strengthen outcomes before the end of the year.