Making the Data Visible: A Systematic Review of Systems-Level Data Dashboards for Leadership and Policy in Education

Abstract

Systems-level data dashboards, those that provide education data aggregated to or used by leaders from school to state to federal levels, have become increasingly prevalent in the field of education both in the United States and in many education systems worldwide. This study provides a systematic review of the literature on systems-level data dashboards in K–12 schooling. The review demonstrates that research on systems-level dashboards lags that of student and teacher-focused learning analytics dashboards; that academic achievement remains the primary focus of dashboards, but contextual and non-test-score outcomes are now included in many dashboards and that use of dashboards by educators and the public is lower than desired but may be improved through alternative dissemination methods. It also demonstrates that research on the impacts of dashboards is particularly limited, a concern given the potential for unintended negative consequences. The article discusses the need to further incorporate systems-level dashboards into the organizational structures of education systems in order to enhance their utility for improving outcomes. The findings provide insights for stakeholders designing and using dashboards and hold the potential to improve dashboard use and student outcomes.