Data tools are valuable resources in supporting data use for continuous improvement. Currently, a large number of commercial products are available for use at all levels of the system. To help data users select tools to best meet their needs, we have developed criteria to consider before investing in or adopting specific tools.

The purpose of the Data Tools section is to provide information on capacity, functionality, and infrastructure to consider when either purchasing or developing data tools.

Specifically, the data tools section can be useful to:

Regional Comprehensive Centers (RCCs) evaluating different data systems for the purposes of making recommendations to states about important characteristics to consider when choosing a data system.
District-level administrators weighing the advantages and disadvantages of selecting a vendor for the district’s data analysis needs versus working to develop their own tools.
Site-level administrators determining what to look for when evaluating the functionality of their school’s data tools.
Teacher leaders interested in learning about the support functions of different tools, specifically related to professional development and “how-to-use” tutorials.