I learned that aggregate data is only as useful as the questions we ask of it. Validity and reliability matter, and descriptive statistics—distribution, central tendency, dispersion—give us a language for understanding what we're seeing. Multiple years of data smooths out outliers and reveals real trends.
I plan to spend more time looking at multi-year trends instead of reacting to single-year fluctuations. I also want to familiarize myself with our state's SLDS and use it to track program outcomes over time. And I need to be better about using aggregate data to advocate for program decisions—not just report what happened, but make a case for what to do next.