Turn benchmark data into instructional strategies

Introduction

We know that as administrators, a benchmark assessment is often seen as our most powerful compass. We’ve moved past the era where we just wait for one big state test in the spring. Now, we are constantly taking the pulse of our students with various tools or assessments to ensure everyone is staying on course.

Why does this analysis matter so much? Benchmark analysis isn't just about color-coded spreadsheets; it’s part of our early warning system. It tells us which students might be at-risk, which teachers need more instructional coaching, and where our professional development budget should actually be spent.

When done right, benchmark analysis moves a school from being reactive to proactive, where we intervene while there is still time to impact student outcomes.

However, the reality for most of us is data fatigue. We might have 600 students, four subgroups, and a 40-page PDF report that looks like a wall of numbers. It can feel overwhelming to find the story hidden in those digits.

In this session, you’ll learn how to use Gemini to synthesize complex student benchmark data into actionable instructional strategies while saving you time.

Before we dive in, let’s ground ourselves. Turn to the person next to you and share:

• What data challenge are you currently experiencing?

• What are you hoping to take away at the end of this session?

As administrators, our biggest productivity hurdle isn't the data, but the synthesis of it. We have the numbers, but turning those numbers into a strategic plan for the next staff meeting can take hours.

Gemini can help reduce this time investment. For example, instead of manually cross-referencing last year’s state scores with this month’s results, you can feed that anonymized data into Gemini.

It can spot trends we might miss when completed manually.

Today, we’re going to focus on benchmark analysis in terms of how to move from What happened? to What do we do next? without hours of synthesis.

Demo

Let’s try this out!

Gemini can handle large context windows, so it can read the spreadsheet data files you work with regularly. For this demo, I will attach a Google Sheets file containing 7th-grade reading scores. However, Gemini can also read and analyze a table that is pasted directly into the prompt bar.

Before we begin, note that all Google Workspace for Education users have enterprise-grade data protection in the Gemini app, meaning your chats with Gemini are not reviewed by humans or used to train AI models. Therefore, it's safe to upload sensitive data.

Be sure to follow the AI policies set by your school district when doing so. If you would like to anonymize your data, you can remove student names or numbers from the data set or replace names with a random set of numbers.

Let’s get back to our 7th-grade reading scores which you will see on my screen. The data contains specific subgroup data: IEP status, ELL status, and growth metrics. Typically, if you want to know how your IEP students were performing compared to the rest of the grade, you’d be manually filtering, averaging, and cross-referencing.

We’re going to use Gemini to help us with this task because of its reasoning capabilities.

Step 1: Open Gemini: gemini.google.com

• Point out the interface and the prompt bar at the bottom

Step 2: I’m going to attach my Sheets file and enter a specific, multi-layered prompt. With prompts like this one, you aren't just identifying a problem; you’re creating a starting point for a coaching conversation with your teachers. And based on the analysis, you can decide—with the evidence Gemini generates—where to allocate your reading specialists, paraprofessionals, or other types of interventions.

• Paste the following prompt into the prompt bar:

Analyze this table of 7th-grade reading scores. Summarize the average growth for the IEP subgroup versus the General Ed population, then suggest two specific literacy interventions for students in the “Below_Basic” category.

• Attach the Google Sheets file by clicking the Add files icon and choosing Add from Drive. Choose the Sheets file.

Step 3: Notice the output: Gemini provided a summary I can speak to at a Board meeting and two pedagogical strategies I can suggest to our educators. It turned a spreadsheet into a strategy.

Demo Resource:

This is the Google Sheet to attach to the prompt in Gemini:

Practice

Now it’s your turn to practice!

Your task:

Step 1:  Open Gemini: gemini.google.com

Step 2:  You’re going to attach the same 7th Grade Winter Reading Benchmark Data file that I used in the demo. I want you to make your own copy of the file to attach in Gemini.

Step 3:  For your prompt, using this data, I want you to ask Gemini to help you with a specific administrative challenge you're experiencing.

• If you’re stuck, here are some prompt ideas:

Identify students who showed negative growth between Fall and Winter. Based on their Proficiency Level, draft three specific talking points I can use in a coaching conversation with their teacher to support a pivot in instruction.

Look at Record_012 and Record_017. These students showed significant growth. Draft a celebratory email template I can send to their guardians that explains what this growth means for their student’s progress toward grade-level standards.

• Or, if you have a redacted school improvement plan or a set of anonymized discipline data, feel free to use that instead in this practice exercise.

Step 4: Review the outputs

• Gut check the output against the data - do they seem correct or could the AI be hallucinating?

• Is the tone appropriate for a teacher or a guardian?

• How much refining would I need to do before I could actually send this?

Reflection

You have accomplished in a matter of minutes what usually takes hours to complete.

Reflecting on today’s session, what is one takeaway or lightbulb moment you had while interacting with the data?

• Did Gemini spot a trend you missed?

• Did it phrase a coaching tip in a way that felt more supportive than what you usually say?

And most importantly, let’s make this stick.

• What is one thing you’ve learned today that you will put into practice by the end of the week?

As we think ahead, it’s important to remember that data is only as good as the action it inspires.