Data tool to improve student support in Somerville

The Somerville public schools plan to expand use of an innovative student data tool through a recent $200,000 grant from the Boston Foundation. Launched in 2015, Student Insights is an online system that provides teachers with individualized data about their students, including interventions they have received from different departments, and recommendations from other teachers, counselors, and administrators about support the child might need. The intent is to help teachers recognize when students are on track, and when issues might be affecting their classroom work. The funding will be used to add new software features to help improve and further develop the system. One of the added features will allow students to contribute personal information they consider important for teachers to know.