Here's My Data...Now What?

The one thing uniting virtually every conversation about educational reform in recent years has been the emphasis placed on data.  The reason for this is two-fold: 1) provisions in No Child Left Behind require schoosl to quantify results and 2) a consensus is emergin that using data to inform instruction increases teacher effectiveness.  Perhaps this is why we just received a $6.5 million federal grant to build a new data collection system in Maryland.

As we move toward state/national standards, the method of reporting results will inevitably become more standardized.  It not only allows the Maryland State Department of Education to analyze statewide data more efficiently, but also helps to track an individual student after he/she transfers districts.  My immediate reaction is that a commitment to data is the correct approach, and any effort to streamline reporting should be welcomed.

Loookin at this issue more broadly, I think that statewide collection systems might finally cut down on the amount of misreporting that takes place within districts like Baltimore City.  It is more tempting for a principal to fudge the numbers if the district's system is not easily navigated by outside observers, but this is not the purpose of using data.  Only through an honest assessment of student achievement can we begin to isolate programs/schools that work.

In the end, though, this database of test scores means nothing if it is not then used to inform classroom instruction as much as it is public policymaking.  As state officials begin designing the system, I hope they are mindful of hte full potential of data application, which is two-fold: 1) we can hold our schools accountable for specific student outcomes and 2) we can think more critically about what actions are resulting in the data that we see--and then be pro-active in seeking solutions.

Data is not something to be celebrated or condemned and then put away; it is a means to an end.  That end is student achievement, but we will only get there if we invest (and train) our teachers to use their data wisely and regularly make adjustments that move students forward.  In this light, it might also be a wise investment for Maryland to help failing schools apply their data in the classroom, not just report it and go back to business as usual.