The Truth About Data

There doesn’t seem to be a common truth about data as reflected in this myriad of quotes from education thought leaders.

• Today's teachers are rich in data and information that enables them to make significant improvement in student achievement.
• Data can be accurate but not remotely useful for a current initiative.

• Arne Duncan: "We will improve education by using data to improve student achievement  and teacher performance

• “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that be counted counts.”  Albert Einstein

• “Any test that yields valid data is a valid test.”  Adam Savage 

• “Data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is not understanding, understanding is not wisdom.” Clifford Stoll 

• "Information is the key to holding schools accountable for improved performance every year among every student group. Data is our best management tool.”  Margaret Spellings 

• Data are useful only if considered as relevant to any situation and then only if complete enough to be useful. As an entity itself, data has no value.

To which, a group of highly  informed pre-service teachers responded with these truths:

• Though I know that statistical analysis, when used responsibly and appropriately, can be a very powerful and useful tool in assessing things, the widespread misuse and abuse of its use is very off-putting for me.
• Students are unique individuals who cannot simply be reduced to numbers, however the numbers can help to provide insight and understanding to strengths and weaknesses in specific areas, but cannot judge the whole child.
• There are many different ways to assess and measure a student.  But there are also many ways to do so that cannot necessarily be "counted" and there are certainly things that are counted that are not valid and/or do not really matter.

Scandalous Assessment

Although Arne Duncan called the Atlanta test scandal an isolated incident, yet similar acts of test fraud have occurred nationally (Fairtest.com). While Michele Rhee says that poverty is not a factor in student achievement the stakes of standardized testing, especially for schools with high numbers of children living in poverty, is increasing.

There are voices of reason that must be attended to. Consider this wisdom and reflection from Linda Darling-Hammond.(The Republic, April 13, 2013)

"The tests were never designed to decide which schools should survive or which kids should be promoted or which teachers should be fired. The behaviors (of these teachers) are inexcusable on their face. But, the implications of what they are doing should be causing a much greater red flag about the testing system than simply battening down the hatches on security.”