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Essential Questions

About Essential Questions

The E-W Framework recommends 20 essential questions that are critical for E-W data systems to answer about how students are progressing from early education through their career. Approaching data through the lens of essential questions can help decision makers prioritize what data should be collected and to take action to address disparities. 

Essential Questions In-Depth

Explore the Essential Questions

Download the PDF of Chapter I. Introduction and Approach to learn more about the essential questions and how they connect to other components of the E-W Framework. Access the Essential Questions Guide for further guidance on how to use essential questions, select or develop questions for a given setting, and identify allies and collaborators to advance alignment across data systems. 

You may also filter essential questions by E-W sector (pre-K, K-12, postsecondary, workforce) below. Select an essential question to to learn more about its related indicators. 

20 Essential Questions

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This website was funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.