What actions can I use to refine data exploration results?

When you use the Data Explorer, you can select actions to manipulate, examine, and dissect your data. These actions include categorizing, disaggregating, drilling down, filtering, and refining the data. Your selected metric actions display visually in a chart, and you can apply exploration actions indefinitely.  Each action you take results in a new chart drawn below the previous one. Your exploration steps are always preserved on-screen.

Note: Using the Data Explorer is a user role permission. If your Navigation Menu does not include the Data Explorer link, this feature is restricted for you and other users with your user role. For more information about accessing the Data Explorer, you can contact your institution's Elevate K-12 Analytics Administrator for help.

Categorize Metrics

The Categorize action allows you to break down the selected data by category. This is useful when you want to investigate patterns within your selected metric and other data groups to understand how they do or do not correlate.

To categorize your exploration metric(s), click the What's Next? section Categorize button [1].  

Alternatively, you can click the Tools Menu icon [2]. Then in the Data Explorer sidebar, click the Categorize link [3].

Notes:

  • When the selected exploration step already includes a categorized chart, this action displays as Sub-Categorize.
  • Charts can only be categorized to two levels. If the sub-categorization action is not working, your selected exploration item is already sub-categorized. You can still use the other exploration actions to dissect your data.

Select Category

Select Category

The Select Category window displays the data categories [1]. You can refine the category list to display your recent or frequently selected categories [2], and search for specific categories [3].

By default, the Select Category list only displays applicable categories. To view all filter options, deselect the Show only categories that apply to all selected metrics checkbox [4]. To view hidden categories, click the Show hidden categories checkbox [5].

To select a category for your data exploration, click the category area [6], and select a category [7]. Then click the OK button [8].

View Categorized Data

View the categorized data in the Data Explorations page [1]. Selected categories with no data are automatically excluded from the chart.

You can continue dissecting the data using the What's Next? options [2], or using the Data Explorer sidebar Actions options [3].

Disaggregate Exploration Items

The Disaggregate action allows you to select an existing categorized item in an exploration chart and expand the results by a new category. This is useful when you want to break down data by detailed sub-categories to identify discrepancies that may not be readily apparent when looking at a larger dataset.

To disaggregate data in a chart, click a chart item.

Note: Unlike categorization, disaggregation can be repeated an unlimited number of times. 

View Disaggregated Data

Below the source chart, you can view the disaggregated data chart [1].

To redraw the disaggregate chart for the other items in the source chart, click another source chart item [2].

Filter Metrics

The Filter by Category action allows you to include or exclude specific data categories from the metric value. This is useful when you want to narrow the data scope to compare the values of two metrics.

To filter your exploration metric(s) by category, click the What's Next? section Filter button [1].  

Alternatively, you can click the Tools Menu icon [2]. Then in the Data Explorer sidebar, click the Filter by category link [3].

Select Filters

Select Filters

The Filter Category Items window displays the data filter categories [1]. You can refine the category list to display your recent or frequently applied filters [2], and search for filters [3].

By default, the Filter Category Items list only displays applicable filters. To view all filter options, deselect the Show only categories that apply to all selected metrics checkbox [4]. To view hidden categories, click the Show hidden categories checkbox [5].

To select a filter for your data exploration, click the filter category [6], then select a filter [7].

Select Filter Items

Select Items

To select a filter item, click the checkbox next to the item name [1]. You can select multiple items.

To select all items in the list, click the Select all from this page checkbox [2].

To return to the Filter Category Items list, click the Go back icon [3].

To apply the selected filter, click the OK button [4].

Note: Selecting no items is effectively the same as selecting all items, because no items is interpreted as not applying the filter.

View Filtered Data

View the filtered data as a chart in the exploration page [1]. Filter items with no data are automatically excluded from the chart.

You can continue dissecting the data using the What's Next? options [2], or using the Data Explorer sidebar Actions options [3].

Filter Metrics Using Advanced Filter

The Advanced filter action allows you to apply complex data category metrics to filter data. You can select values to include, exclude, or that are equal to a specified value. This is useful when you want to compare the values of two metrics within a specified range of values.

To apply an advanced filter in your exploration, click the Tools Menu icon [1]. In the Data Explorer sidebar, click the Advanced filter link [2].

Select Advanced Filter Category

Select Advanced Filter Category

In the Advanced Filter window, click the select category link.

Select Category

Select Category

The Select Category window displays the data categories [1]. You can refine the category list to display your recent or frequently selected categories [2], and search for specific categories [3].

By default, the Select Category list only displays applicable categories. To view all filter options, deselect the Show only categories that apply to all selected metrics checkbox [4]. To view hidden categories, click the Show hidden categories checkbox [5].

To select a category for your advanced filter, click the category area [6], and select a filter [7]. Then click the OK button [8].

Select Advanced Filter Metric

Select Advanced Filter Metric

In the Advanced Filter modal, view your selected category [1]. To filter data results by a metric related to the category, click the select metric link [2].

Select Metric

Select Metric

The Metrics window displays a list of metrics associated with your selected category. To search for a specific metric, enter the metric name in the Search field [1].

To select a metric, click the metric category [2], and select a metric [3]. Then click the OK button [4].

Configure Filter Condition

Configure Filter Condition

The Advanced Filter window displays your selected metric [1]. To filter your exploration results, click the Comparison Basis drop-down menu [2] and select an option. Then enter a value in the Value field [3].

To apply the advanced filter, click the OK button. [4].

Note: You can specify multiple conditions for one category. Click the add one more condition link [5] and select a metric, metric comparison, and value. To remove a filter condition, click the Remove icon [6].

View Filtered Data

View Filtered Data

View the filtered data as a chart in the exploration page [1]. Filter items with no data are automatically excluded from the chart.

To modify your advanced filter selections, click the Chart Settings icon [2].

You can continue dissecting the data using the What's Next? options [3], or using the Data Explorer sidebar Actions options [4].

Refine by Top N

The Top N action allows you to restrict a chart to show only a specified number of top or bottom values of data. This is useful when the you want to focus an exploration on the highest or lowest data values.

To filter your exploration metric(s) by value, click the What's Next? section Top n button [1].  

Alternatively, you can click the Tools Menu icon [2]. Then in the Data Explorer sidebar, click the Top n link [3].

Configure Top N

Configure Top N

In the Top N window, click the Metric drop-down menu [1] and select a metric. The menu displays your data exploration metrics. However, if you only selected one metric for your data exploration, the metric displays in place of the Metric drop-down menu.

Click the Refine by drop-down menu [2] and select an option. You can refine results to display by the top or bottom values. Then enter a value in the Value field [3].

To view results filtered by your top n configuration, click the OK button [4].

View Top N Data

View Top N Data

View the refined data as a chart in the exploration page [1]. Filter items with no data are automatically excluded from the chart.

You can continue dissecting the data using the What's Next? options [2], or using the Data Explorer sidebar Actions options [3].

Filter with KPI

A metric KPI allows an institution to define and configure performance parameters for a specific metric. If your institution has created a key performance indicator (KPI) for a metric in your exploration, you may be able to filter or group the data by KPI parameters [1].

To focus your exploration on a specific segment or segments of the KPI parameters, click the Filter by segments button [2]. You can then select the segment filters.

To group the data by the segments defined by the KPI, click the Group by segments button [3]. Selecting this option automatically adds a new chart to the exploration.

Select Segment Filters

Select Segment Filters

The Filter on segments window displays the KPI segments[1]. To select a segment to display in your exploration, click the checkbox next to the segment name [2]. You can select multiple segments.

To apply the selected segment filters, click the OK button [3].

View KPI-Filtered Data

View the refined data as a chart in the exploration page [1]. Filter items with no data are automatically excluded from the chart.

You can continue dissecting the data using the What's Next? options [2], or using the Data Explorer sidebar Actions options [3].