Regardless of one's political affiliation, it's hard not to view this time as one of uncertainty, particularly in education. Changes are certainly afoot.

Speaker's at last week's LearnLaunch Conference in Boston spoke of this uncertainty, but also spoke with conviction about the persistent potential for technology to advance American students' learning.

Also pervasive at the conference was talk of the sheer amount of data that educators (including parents) have access to -- but also of concern that this access is often strained, that the data can be difficult to track down, or confusing, or overwhelming -- or all of these.

We heard from various companies and organizations that are taking on exciting new ways of making education data accessible and actionable: The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, teaming with Ed-Fi and various organizations to focus on "data out"; Schoolzilla creating new ways for superintendents to understand vast amounts of information about their students; big assessment organizations like ETS, NWEA and ACT investing in new reporting techniques.

Spotlight is happy to contribute to this effort, in many cases in partnership with these organizations. At a time of uncertainty, clarity is key, and we offer just that: clarity of information.