From Data Overload to Precision Teaching: Using Assessment to Inform Instruction

• In Event: The State of Black Student Literacy Growth and Proficiency in Michigan: A Comprehensive Data Analysis

Abstract

This presentation explores how benchmark assessment data—particularly from NWEA MAP—can be used as a tool of instructional precision and equity rather than as an instrument of compliance. In alignment with AERA’s 2026 call to “unforget” educational harm, this work interrogates how public schools collect, report, and too often disregard actionable data that could transform outcomes for Black students. The objective is to propose a model for educator training and leadership practice that enables the ethical and effective use of growth data to inform early literacy instruction.

Author

• Joe Musial, University of Michigan - Dearborn