Illuminations and Insights

In U.S. education research, we face a persistent challenge: for the billions of dollars invested during the last 50 years, why are student outcomes in this country not improving? Working at the crux of education research, policy, and technology, EA believes the current processes and systems involved in doing research are nearing their limits. This blog, written by Director of Research & Analytics Services Molly Stewart and Chief Operating Officer Libby Pier, aims at not only examining these challenges but also identifies ways in which we and our partners in state and local education agencies, institutions of higher education, and other non- and for-profit technology groups are working on innovative solutions to these challenges.

Six years ago, the Indiana University School of Education, alongside 10 Indiana school districts, established the INsite Consortium to improve data access for educators by implementing the Ed-Fi data standard. By 2020, with Ed-Fi operational, the focus shifted to ensuring the consortium's sustainability amid evolving technology and the pandemic. In this blog, Dr. Molly Stewart, former Director of INsite, describes how INsite decided to transition to Education Analytics (EA) after recognizing the limitations of managing the consortium from a small university office. The move to EA enabled INsite to have access to advanced tools and broad support across states. As this transition wraps up, the Indiana team is looking forward to professional development and new collaborative opportunities to further provide support Ed-Fi implementation in Indiana.