Zelma
Zelma is an AI-powered research assistant specializing in U.S school testing data. The tool has broad applications for educators, policymak...
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What is Zelma?
Zelma is an AI-powered research assistant that enables users to easily find, graph, and understand U.S. school testing data using plain English queries. Built with GPT-4 technology, it makes education data accessible to parents, teachers, school administrators, policymakers, and researchers across the United States by allowing them to ask questions in natural language and receive immediate answers supported by visualizations like graphs, tables, and descriptions.
The tool accesses the State Assessment Data Repository, the most comprehensive database of state assessment data in the United States, covering all 50 states and D.C. for students in Grades 3-8. Users can search student test data by school district, demographics (race/ethnicity, economic status, gender, English learner status, disability status), grade level, and subject (ELA/math/science/social studies). Zelma writes SQL code to query the database based on user questions, returning tailored educational insights on what matters most to them.
Key features include the ability to graph data over time, compare scores between states and school districts, analyze achievement gaps within a state or district, filter by charter vs. non-charter schools, and focus on specific demographic subgroups like Black students only. Users can share findings by tweeting links or embedding graphs in blogs. The platform also offers downloadable CSV data files organized by state and year, plus API access for researchers.
Zelma is designed for anyone who wants to explore educational data without technical expertise - from parents concerned about their child's school to policymakers making evidence-based decisions. The tool transforms plain English questions into data-driven insights, making transparent education data available to support better decisions for students.
Zelma pricing
Pricing model: Free
Zelma is completely free to use with no cost. The tool is available at no charge to all users. Data files are licensed under the Open Data Commons Attribution License (ODC-By) v1.0. There are no paid plans or subscription tiers mentioned - the platform is supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation, Gates Foundation, Brown University, and Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.
Zelma pros
- GPT-4 powered AI that understands natural language queries
- Access to the most comprehensive U.S. state assessment data repository
- Coverage of all 50 states and D.C. for grades 3-8
- No technical coding skills required - just ask in plain English
- Instant generation of graphs, tables, and descriptive answers
- Can filter by demographics including race/ethnicity, economic status, gender
- Supports achievement gap analysis within states or districts
- Can compare charter vs. non-charter school districts
- Displays data trends over time with automatic graphing
- Follow-up questions allowed for deeper exploration
- Free to use with no cost barriers
- Options to download CSV data files for research
- API access available for developers and researchers
- Share insights via Twitter links or embedded blog graphs
- NCES identifiers integrated for cross-dataset research
- Distinguishes between traditional public and charter schools
- Understands educational concepts like 'achievement gap' automatically
Zelma cons
- Cannot compare test scores across different states (tests are not comparable)
- Only queries test score database - no graduation rates or employment data
- Cannot make up or fabricate test scores or proficiency rates
- Some states suppress data for small groups due to privacy reasons
- Not every state reports all data - gaps exist in some states' submissions
- Some states don't report data by race/ethnicity or grade level
- Data gaps occur when states field test new assessments
- No plans to incorporate alternate state assessment data currently
- Limited student subgroup data - students with disabilities not fully included
- Cannot incorporate community employment rates or non-test data
- Some states provide only ranges instead of exact counts
- Data suppression marked with asterisks limits some queries
Frequently asked questions about Zelma
What is Zelma and what does it do?
Zelma is a GPT-4 powered AI research assistant that makes education data accessible by allowing users to use plain language to get instant, tailored educational insights. It enables anyone to find, graph, and understand U.S. school testing data using natural language queries, returning answers with graphs, tables, and descriptions.
What data does Zelma cover?
Zelma covers the State Assessment Data Repository, which includes publicly available assessment data from all 50 states and D.C. for students in Grades 3-8. The database integrates data across state, district, and school levels, disaggregated by subject (ELA, math, science, social studies), grade level, and student subgroups including race/ethnicity, economic status, gender, English learner status, and disability status.
Can I compare test scores between different states?
No, Zelma results are NOT comparable across states because states administer distinct assessments that are different from each other. However, for each individual state, Zelma can provide insight into trends and outcomes across districts and schools over time.
What types of questions can I ask Zelma?
You can ask questions like 'What are the top 5 performing districts in math in California?', 'Compare math and ELA scores in Alaska', 'How do charter districts compare to non-charter ones in Massachusetts in math?', 'Show me ELA scores over time in Illinois', 'How do math scores vary by race/ethnicity in Rhode Island?', 'Graph science scores by grade level in New York', or 'What was the highest performing school district in Mississippi in ELA in 2023?' You can also ask follow-up questions and refine queries by demographic subgroups.
How does Zelma work?
Zelma is designed to write SQL code to query the database based on your questions. When you ask a question in plain English, Zelma analyzes it, processes the relevant data, and returns the answer in the form of descriptions, tables, or graphs. The more you ask, the better Zelma gets at knowing what you want.
What are the limitations of Zelma?
Zelma can only query the test score database - it cannot make up test scores or incorporate other data like graduation rates or community employment rates. Additionally, not every state reports all data; some states suppress numbers for small groups due to privacy, some don't report by race/ethnicity or grade level, and data gaps occur when states field test new assessments.
Can I download the data for my own research?
Yes, users can download data files from any state in CSV format, organized by state and year. Version 3.1 is currently available. The data is licensed under the Open Data Commons Attribution License (ODC-By) v1.0. There is also API access available for researchers who want to integrate the data into their own applications.
Is Zelma free to use?
Yes, Zelma is completely free to use with no cost. The project is made possible through financial support from the Walton Family Foundation, Gates Foundation, Brown University, and Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, so there are no paid plans or subscription fees.
Who can use Zelma?
Zelma is designed for parents, teachers, school administrators, policymakers, researchers, and anyone interested in education data. It makes complex education data accessible to anyone who can use plain language, regardless of technical expertise in data analysis.
How can I share Zelma's results?
Users can share insights by tweeting a link to the graph or embedding a graph in their blog. This brings data wherever the audience lives, making it easy to share educational insights publicly on social media or in written content.