The recommendations in this brief create a framework for using data effectively to make instructional decisions. The availability of student-level data for educators has pushed forward the movement to strengthen the role of data to guide instruction and improve student learning. While improvements in technology and assessments, as well as recent accountability trends, explain why more data are available in schools, the question of what to do with the data remains a notable concern for educators. Data provide a way to assess what students are learning and the extent to which students are making progress toward goals (state, local, and individual). Using data thoughtfully to ask questions and obtain insight about student progress is a logical way to monitor continuous improvement and target instruction to the needs of each student. This report identifies and discusses five recommendations that State Education Agencies (SEAs) can implement to increase their use of data: (1) Include data as a central feature of ongoing improvement; (2) Empower students to analyze their own data and set learning goals; (3) Develop a strategic vision for data use; (4) Provide supports that encourage a culture of data use; and (5) Develop and maintain a comprehensive data system. [Information contained in this brief is based on "Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making. IES Practice Guide. NCEE 2009-4067" (ED506645).]