Jefferson City News

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), in collaboration with SAS, has introduced the Missouri Data Visualization Tool (MO DVT). This web-based application provides reports and analysis on academic performance, including achievement and growth data categorized by subject, year, and grade. The tool was developed to address stakeholder inquiries about interpreting and utilizing Missouri Growth Model data.

"As we work collectively to improve student achievement statewide, it is imperative that local school leaders and teachers have actionable, meaningful data to make decisions and tailor instruction — and we’re excited that MO DVT can do just that," stated Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. "MO DVT is among a series of resources that DESE is providing to ensure stakeholders — educators, families, and policymakers alike — are better able to understand Missouri’s Growth Model and use the data to support student learning."

SAS EVAAS Vice President Dr. John White expressed support for the initiative: "SAS is proud to partner with DESE in supporting Missouri students and educators. We believe that every student deserves the opportunity to be successful, and our goal is to provide resources that make data more accessible in order to support all students' academic growth."

The tool's public access site offers a Local Education Agency (LEA) report and Building Growth report. Users can select data of interest, evaluate trends over time, and compare results. A scatterplot feature allows users to illustrate relationships between two areas of interest, such as performance and growth, offering insights into educational practices' effects on student learning.

Educators can log into their MO DVT accounts for more detailed student-level data from their LEA, aiding local decision-making based on data.

"Performance is important; however, students must be growing to reach grade level proficiency," noted Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan. "It’s imperative that we are analyzing student growth to determine if instruction from classroom to classroom is positively impacting student learning."

Dr. Sam Duncan, Superintendent of New Madrid County R-I School District, shared his perspective: "I believe MO DVT will provide our teachers and principals with a deeper understanding of how we can improve. Our educators are currently digging into individual student data from MO DVT and look forward to learning more about how this tool can help us track and improve student growth."

The MO DVT includes a help feature with detailed information about each report in the system, explanations on report generation, and guidance for effective data interpretation.

To access MO DVT, visit modese.sas.com or find the link under the School Data dropdown menu on DESE’s website.