Improve Test Scores with Data: A Guide for Administrators

In the world of education accountability, standardized test scores carry weight. They inform funding decisions, influence public perception, and more importantly, serve as a critical measure of how well schools are serving their students.

But while districts and schools are swimming in data, the path from data to impact isn’t always clear. Understanding test results is one thing. Knowing which numbers to act on, and how to respond effectively without burning out your staff, is another.

This guide is designed to help administrators get the most out of the data they already have. From narrowing in on the most actionable metrics to making sustainable changes, we’ll show you how to move beyond the dashboard and into real school improvement.

1. Identify the KPIs That Actually Drive Change

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when facing rows of test scores, subgroup breakdowns, and growth percentiles. But not all data points carry equal weight. Effective school leaders focus on a few high-leverage key performance indicators (KPIs) that are both predictive of future success and within your sphere of influence. Here are three places to start:

Students Just Below Proficiency

This group is often the lowest-hanging fruit. A handful of students moving from “approaching” to “proficient” can make a measurable difference in a school’s overall score. These students often need targeted instruction, not remediation from scratch, but a push in specific domains where they’re just shy of mastery.

Growth Over Time

While proficiency levels grab headlines, growth metrics often tell a fuller story. For districts using NWEA MAP or the Texas STAAR® Progress Measure, focusing on year-over-year growth, especially for students in the bottom quartile, can spotlight whether your interventions are working.

Performance by Subgroup

Look at achievement and growth broken down by subgroups, especially SPED, ELL, and economically disadvantaged students. The goal isn’t just improvement, it’s equity. Are your efforts closing gaps, or are some students consistently left behind?

With Progress Learning, administrators can filter data across these dimensions easily, providing the insights needed to focus interventions where they’re most needed.

2. Make Your Data Actionable

Understanding data is only valuable if it leads to changes in practice. Unfortunately, many schools fall into what researchers call “the implementation gap”: they invest time in analyzing student data, but don’t turn those insights into meaningful shifts in instruction.

So what can administrators actually do with the numbers? The key is to identify “levers” strategies that directly influence your chosen KPIs. Here are a few that work:

Use Diagnostics to Personalize Instruction

Whether it’s from NWEA MAP®, the FAST assessment, or STAAR®, don’t just share scores with teachers, connect those results to targeted next steps. Progress Learning’s Liftoff, for example, integrates directly with MAP RIT scores, automatically generating individualized remediation paths without additional testing.

Leverage Your Assessment Tools

With a 200,000+ item bank, Progress Learning makes it easy to create formative and summative assessments aligned to state standards. This allows teachers to track progress on the exact skills students need to master, rather than relying on broad benchmarks.

Build Remediation into the Daily Schedule

Use short, targeted assignments or games during bell ringers, centers, or enrichment blocks. Our quick-click remediation tools make this seamless, allowing teachers to assign follow-up practice based on assessment results in just a few minutes.

Actionable data is only useful when it’s embedded into daily routines, not just treated as an extra.

3. Implement Realistically (and Respectfully)

One of the most important questions to ask when planning data-driven interventions is: What can we realistically expect teachers to implement?

Many schools have fallen into the trap of initiative overload, adding new strategies and platforms every year, often without full adoption. The most successful schools take a different approach: They choose fewer strategies, and support them fully. Here’s how to do it:

Start with Teacher Buy-In

Frame your goals in terms of student growth, not compliance. Ask for teacher feedback. Highlight how tools like Progress Learning can save time through automated grading, built-in video tutorials, and standards-aligned resources.

Choose Flexible Tools

Holley-Navarre Middle School in Florida credits Progress Learning with freeing up instructional time. Teachers use the platform to streamline classroom routines like bell ringers, quizzes, and remediation without disrupting core instruction.

Celebrate Small Wins

Whether it’s recognizing gains in a specific standard or moving a few more students into proficiency, make progress visible. At Charles Drew Elementary, students earned Galaxy Stars and unlocked games as part of a motivational system that helped science proficiency jump from 33% to 82%.

Realistic implementation also means giving your staff the tools to act on the data without being data analysts. This is where a platform like Progress Learning helps to bridge the gap between insight and instruction.

Improving test scores isn’t just about studying data, it’s about knowing what to do with it. By focusing on the right KPIs, making smart instructional moves, and implementing strategies that fit your teachers’ capacity, you can move the needle on student achievement.

Progress Learning helps administrators do exactly that. From integrated diagnostics and state-standard alignment to flexible reporting and individualized remediation, it’s a full toolkit for turning data into action.

Want to discuss how this could work at your school or district?
Schedule a free demo with our team to talk through your data challenges and explore how Progress Learning can support your goals on your timeline and your terms.