Rapid shifts in educators’ perceptions of data literacy priorities

Abstract

To meet the challenges of a data-driven society, high school students need new arrays of literacy skills. In the United States, school librarians, who work across disciplines, are well-positioned to help students improve their data practice, but they first need new domain knowledge. This article presents findings from an evaluating survey and session evaluation data from a virtual data literacy conference, which were part of a federally-funded project to develop data literacy skills among high school librarians and educators. Findings indicated a noticeable shift in participant perceptions of the need and urgency for data literacy instruction across content areas and grade levels concurrent with implementation of content-area data literacy standards. While the conference was geared toward high school educators and librarians, participants represented a broad audience of K-12 educators and K-20 librarians. The findings provide a valuable snapshot of shifting educational standards and priorities, along with needed pedagogical support and resources.