From Drowning in Data to Data-Driven Clarity: Introducing the CAT 2.0

Have you ever gotten frustrated by knowing that you could help more students with the work you’re doing, but that the results aren’t there?

The expectation and reality gap in education is demoralizing. You want what’s right for kids. You’re trying your best. But somehow your wheels just keep spinning. Your frustration isn’t unique. American progress in education stalled out in the early 2010s and has been falling (and during COVID free-falling) since then. Digging out of this low point isn’t easy, but it will require data-driven analysis and a focus on mastery for students. 

Instructional Data Solutions is going to be part of the solution; our mission is to remove barriers to enable education organizations to focus on what matters most.  We want to de-hassle your data so you can clearly see which students need more support, instead of spending hours collecting and analyzing results by hand. We want you to use the time you save on teaching, instead of paperwork. To that end, we’ve been working behind the scenes to bring you a new version of the Cohort Achievement Tracker (CAT).

What's New in the Cohort Achievement Tracker 2.0

The Cohort Achievement Tracker 2.0 makes it faster and more intuitive to collect, analyze, and act on student data. Our clean, cloud-based platform requires no complicated software installation, no need to update an app to the latest version, and integrates seamlessly with your existing technology.

Privacy Built the Right Way

The CAT 2.0 is built to make compliance easier for you, not harder. The only way to even access the CAT 2.0 is via secure login using your school system email address. Not only is access completely locked down to only the people you specify, but once people have access, you still have complete control over their views. Too often student data is shared first and then retracted. The Cohort Achievement Tracker 2.0 is built the opposite way; access is based only on your specified contacts, and your contacts can only view student data you elect for them to see. Instead of opting out, you intentionally opt in only need-to-know viewers, reducing audit findings AND data headaches!

Three Core Functions That Drive Better Decisions

The CAT 2.0 serves three main functions

1. Dashboard: Have you ever heard someone say that a picture is worth a thousand words? A dashboard saves you the time and energy of writing those thousand words (or worse, having a meeting to say those thousand words). Need to know how many students are failing? We have a graph for that. Need to know which classroom struggles the most with nonsense word fluency? We have a graph for that too! My favorite graph is the Sankey diagram (pictured above), which shows how students are moving from one achievement group to the next over time. With just this one visualization, you get a clear picture of how many at-risk students you're managing (those sliding from higher achievement levels to lower ones), alongside the students who deserve a celebration for jumping up to benchmark or higher.

2. Decision Support: When your data is easily comprehensible, you can make quick decisions. Seeing an attendance issue? One click pulls up additional context and lets you drill down. Want to send out a student report? No problem; one click navigates you to that page. And this functionality is fast. Our improved cloud-based infrastructure means you’re not waiting for cells to load or seeing slower response times when you add more data. 

3. Instructor support: Teachers really get the short stick when it comes to data. So often they’re handed a stack of DIBELs results and told to “figure it out.” Them and what data science degree? Or worse, they never even see student data in the first place. What a waste! A data-informed educator has so many advantages. But the data has to be informative, not overwhelming. 

Final Thoughts 

Want to learn more? We invite you to view our video tour of the CAT or sign up for a free one-on-one tour here. What are you looking to do with your data collection and analysis? How do you use data to its fullest? Join the conversation on social media and share.

About Instructional Data Solutions: Our mission is to remove barriers to enable education organizations to focus on what matters most. We assist school systems and education organizations of all sizes by collecting, analyzing, and clearly communicating data. We are committed to empowering educators through comprehensive data analytics and tailored support. Additionally, we provide dedicated support for operational needs, process improvement, and special projects, offering customized solutions to enhance effectiveness and success. Our solutions bridge the gap between data collection and instructional improvement in PK-12 settings.