ABSTRACT
This chapter zeroes in on data reports and how their data is packaged or displayed for users. It covers two related aspects: key features and design. Adding key features to reports and using research-based design conventions helps educators understand the report's data as quickly and easily as possible. The time one person/programmer spends adding and/or improving key features within a report or improving the report's design is miniscule compared to the time it will collectively save the many educators using the report. Thus the over-the-counter data (OTCD) Standards contained in this chapter focuses on design decisions that are commonly poorly navigated by data system/report provider (DSRP) and/or when existing design research that is not exclusive to education is difficult to apply to education-specific data reports. The American Educational Research Association (AERA) recommended summaries of rows and columns as vital comparison points for other data in the table, with the type of summary chosen based on purpose.
