19 May 2026
Data literacy is no longer a ‘nice to have’ for educators but is fast becoming a significant part of their roles; one they are keen to expand with further training and support says a survey of 2,500 global educators.
The survey from Cambridge found that teachers are increasingly confident in using data to help them shape decisions and nearly nine in ten wanted to further develop their data literacy skills, including in interpreting, communicating, and applying data meaningfully. For many, this was about becoming a more effective educator and having a greater impact on learning. “I feel that no one is perfectly educated even if they are masters at what they do,” said one respondent. “We should always strive to improve ourselves each and every day. Being able to analyse data and make predictions and improve students' knowledge is a great asset that is rarely used I feel.”
Making use of data
Schools are using data in a number of ways. Those receiving results for the inaugural March series of Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary Checkpoint tests this month have been busy interpreting their diagnostic reports provided by Cambridge. These show how learners have performed individually, in comparison to the rest of their class and against an international average for the whole cohort. The data offers invaluable insights for supporting onward learning.
“The detailed performance reports help identify student aptitude, subject strengths, and learning gaps at an early stage, enabling informed subject choices and timely interventions before entering Cambridge IGCSE,” says Rama Mylavarapu, Head of School, Chennai Public School Global (CPS Global) Annanagar, India.
It’s a similar picture for Fravashi International Academy, Nashik, India. “Cambridge Checkpoint is our lighthouse, not our verdict,” says the school’s Director Academics, Dr Manju Surendran. “It shows us where the rocks are, where the channel runs deep and where we need to navigate with care. The rest of the journey is still ours to make with the student and the family at the table.”
Schools will also be supported on that student journey with the recently launched Cambridge Secondary Insight (Baseline) digital assessment tool, which will be available from September and offers new intuitive dashboards and interactive reporting to help schools interpret data confidently.
Want to know more about data literacy?
Part of our Cambridge Insight offering includes regular free webinars focused on how to use baseline data to inform teaching and learning. There is also an introductory webinar recording to help you take the first steps in your data journey. Cambridge Assessment Network also offers an online CPD course: A103: Assessment Data and Statistics.
Further information
Find out more about Cambridge Checkpoint and how schools in India are using insights to support learning and exam readiness in our latest blog.
Read more about what educators told us about data literacy