Which type of data is most important for a principal to request for instructional decisions in the reading department?

Requesting subskill reading assessment scores is crucial for making informed instructional decisions within the reading department because these scores provide specific insights into students' competencies in various foundational areas of reading, such as phonemic awareness, decoding, and vocabulary. By understanding where students excel and where they struggle, a principal can tailor instructional strategies to address identified gaps in skills development.

This data allows educators to implement targeted interventions and differentiated instruction, which is essential for supporting individual learning needs. It directly informs practice by highlighting not just general performance levels, but the specific areas where interventions may be most beneficial. Furthermore, focusing on subskills ensures that the instruction is aligned with the students’ actual learning requirements, thereby enhancing overall reading proficiency.

In contrast, reading comprehension surveys and standardized test results offer broader insights into students’ reading competencies but may lack the granularity needed for pinpointing specific instructional adjustments. Classroom observation notes can provide valuable qualitative data about instructional practices, yet they do not quantify student performance on essential reading subskills as effectively as direct assessment scores do. Thus, subskill reading assessment scores provide the most actionable data for instructional decision-making in the reading department.