Benefits of Ongoing Teacher Professional Development in Data Literacy
The benefits of ongoing teacher professional development (PD) in data literacy center around developing long lasting changes in teacher practice and students’ skills. Skills being the key word in that sentence. Working with and making sense of data is a set of skills that are learned, practiced, refined, and deepened over time, not content topics that are learned and then you move. Therefore, as classrooms include more and more data—from creating and reading graphs to analyzing patterns and interpreting them in real-world contexts—as part of their content teachers need sustained, relevant professional learning that equips them to lead the way.
One-and-done workshops won’t cut it. What makes the difference is ongoing, embedded support that helps educators develop and apply their knowledge of teaching data skills into their teaching practice and curriculum over time for students to gain and master these key 21st century skills.
A great additional bonus of such work is that, building data literacy skills, across grade levels and content areas, is a gateway to more confident teaching, deeper student engagement, and a stronger schoolwide culture of inquiry.
How the Benefits of Ongoing Teacher Professional Development in Data Literacy Show Up in the Classroom
Teachers don’t just need to understand how to use data themselves—they need to feel confident in teaching students how to work with and make sense of data in ways that enhance their broader content learning. We have seen over and over again that confidence comes through continued practice and support in their own data skills as well as teaching data skills to students. And that is why our work focuses on extended, multi-touch points PD.
Yes we may be totally biased ;), but here are some of the ways that we continually see ongoing professional development in data literacy making a lasting impact for teachers and students from our long term projects, rather than our short programs:
1. Sustained Growth in Teacher Confidence
In our experience, it’s common for teachers to feel unsure about how to integrate data and graphing into their instruction overall as well as in new ways to help address students’ gaps. We find this to be especially the case for teachers whose own education didn’t include formal training in data literacy.
The top three aspects teachers comment on that our ongoing PD allows for are:
- Repeated exposure to key strategies,
- Time to practice and reflect,
- Real feedback from peers and facilitators.
Just like for our students when learning new skills, this kind of PD leads to a noticeable increase in teacher confidence and instructional creativity—two of the biggest factors in lasting change.
2. Improved Student Learning Outcomes
To state the obvious, when teachers are better prepared, students benefit. :) Haha, aren’t you glad you are reading this section? But in all seriousness, one of the best ways to best prepare and support teachers is to offer them consistent PD.
Through consistent and authentic PD that offers a range of touch points and experiences means that teachers are then more likely to creatively and strategically use a range of ways to:
- Use real-world examples and datasets in their instruction
- Scaffold graphing and data interpretation skills effectively
- Assess data understanding through multiple modalities (not just tests)
We consistently see that this cannot only lead to improved student outcomes, especially in science, social studies, and math classrooms but also improvements on state tests. A team of 7th grade math and science teachers from coastal Oregon participated in one of our year-long projects in 2024-25 and shared:
“In our "data" categories our students are all above the state average this year! This is huge for our school and district!! We attribute this to our mindful attempts at getting data in front of students throughout the year!”
3. Alignment with 21st Century Skills
Data literacy is increasingly seen as a required skill for teachers and students alike. Individuals and organizations are increasingly making day-to-day as well as long-term decisions informed from data or data analysis others have done. To be successful in the 21st century–even just at making sense of your utility bills and appliances, let alone election maps or for your job–we need to have a strong foundation in basic data literacy skills. In fact more than just skill acquisition, data-rich instruction allows students to think critically, make sense of patterns, and connect learning across disciplines.
Ongoing professional development can better ensure that teachers stay up to date with:
- Curriculum shifts that emphasize data interpretation
- Technology tools for exploring and visualizing data
- Culturally responsive practices around data narratives
PD that’s sustained over time helps teachers internalize—not just learn—the instructional shifts needed for 21st-century classrooms.
4. Capacity-Building Across the School
When teacher training is ongoing, the impact extends beyond individual classrooms. Schools benefit from:
- Consistent instructional language and expectations
- Teacher leaders who can support peers
- Shared resources and strategies that scale
And this is one of the most energizing things for all involved. Time and materials, our two limited resources that we are often struggling to have enough of, can be leveraged to work better for everyone!
We strongly believe that professional development workshops for teachers are more effective when structured as part of a long-term plan—not just a single event.
5. Stronger Data Culture
Schools and districts that invest in teacher staff development focused on data literacy often notice a shift in culture. Data becomes something teachers use themselves and with students, not just something reviewed in a spreadsheet or on a handout at the staff meeting.
Through ongoing PD, teachers learn to:
- Center student inquiry in data work
- Connect graphing to real issues and lived experiences
- Create authentic learning experiences using classroom and community data
This cultural shift leads to more engaged learning and a greater sense of purpose for both teachers and students. But the benefits go far beyond that too! Oftentimes we see the cultural shift in how teachers work with and make sense of student assessment data too.
How to Structure Ongoing Data Literacy PD That Works
Here’s what effective, ongoing professional development in data literacy looks like:
- Partnered Workshop with Hands-On Application: Build shared language and purpose (e.g., 1-hour “Intro to Data Literacy”, 1.5-hour “Create & Iterate Data Visualizations) as well as explore classroom-tested strategies. Followed by a focused session to support real classroom implementation by digging into classroom artifacts and implementation planning.
- Series & Coaching: Longer-term series (e.g., up to 18-hours of paid workshop and application sessions) focused on key topic areas with peer collaboration or coaching yield the highest results in our experience.
At Dataspire, our teachers training programs are built to support sustained growth. We work with schools to co-create a learning arc that fits your schedule, your goals, and your team’s specific needs.
Make the Investment That Pays Off
The benefits of ongoing teacher professional development in data literacy are clear: more confident teachers, more engaged students, and stronger instructional impact.
If your school is looking for a way to build internal capacity and create a culture of data-informed teaching, ongoing PD is the path forward.
