From Voices to Validity: Leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) for Textual Analysis of Policy Stakeholder Interviews

During this six-month project, the team conducted a comprehensive landscape and trend analysis of Washington State’s K–12 public school systems to identify existing assets and gaps. In collaboration with state education leaders, practitioners, and other stakeholders, the team identified high-leverage questions and priority areas for improving outcomes for low-income students and students of color.The project also developed recommendations for strengthening state and local district capacity to engage in evidence-based continuous improvement. Findings were communicated to a diverse audience of policymakers and practitioners to inform the policy feedback loop, highlighting implications for policies and actions that can advance racial and economic equity in Washington’s public education system. Finally, the team identified key areas for further inquiry to guide ongoing improvement efforts.This study is part of a larger project focused on text analysis using interview data, applying qualitative and computational methods to examine stakeholder perspectives and identify actionable themes.