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Committee backs bill to add data analyst at Department of Education
Summary
The Senate Education Committee recommended passage of House Bill 1808, which would create a state-funded academic data analyst at the Department of Education to analyze assessment data, guide curriculum decisions and help schools target support; the committee flagged a $160,000 appropriation and said finance should review costs.
The Senate Education Committee voted in favor of moving House Bill 1808, which would create an academic research and performance data analyst position within the New Hampshire Department of Education to analyze student assessment data and help schools target curriculum and resource decisions.
Supporters told the committee the state collects large amounts of test and accountability data but lacks staff capacity to dig into why certain cohorts or regions underperform. Representative Rick Lad, the bill’s speaker, framed the role as a way to “measure student progress, evaluate program and instructional effectiveness and guide curriculum development and resource allocation,” arguing the department is “very thin in terms of support staff” for curriculum and instruction.
Dr. Nate Green, Division Director at the Department of Education, said the department ‘‘collects a lot of data’’ but needs someone who can ‘‘actionalize it’’ to answer why scores drop in particular grades or regions and to help disseminate successful practices to struggling schools. Dr. Green and senators discussed that the role would support schools identified in the bottom 5% of performance and help school leaders apply existing federal, state and local funding streams more effectively.
Senators asked about cost. Committee members noted an appropriation of $160,000 in the bill template to cover salary, benefits and equipment. Dr. Green said that estimate typically reflects a salary in the $70,000–$85,000 range plus benefits and operating costs; the committee said the finance committee should review the fiscal note in greater detail.
The committee’s recommendation to pass the bill sends it forward with the fiscal appropriation left for the finance committee to vet. Supporters said the position could help identify specific skill gaps within schools and avoid costly wholesale curriculum purchases by pointing districts toward targeted interventions.
The committee discussion closed with senators noting the difference between federal grant compliance work and the proposed analyst’s role: grant staff focus on compliance across many schools, whereas the proposed analyst would look holistically at state, federal and local funding and the instructional practices that affect achievement. The motion to advance HB 1808 passed in committee and was placed on consent for further processing.
