Teachers empower data

Data are meaningless until teachers add their expertise.

As a self-described data geek, I never quite understood teachers who resisted using data to drive improvement in student achievement. As a teacher, I couldn’t wait to get standardized test results back — to grab my highlighter, to see who made it over the benchmark target, and to calculate improvement. However, not everyone shared my love for data. Not only did some not like data, but they would get angry about data. Tears were shed over data.

So guess what I did to better use data to improve teaching and learning? I collected data! I interviewed teams of teachers; I had to understand both sides of the passionate debate — my love and their hate.

The voice

Thirteen primary grade teachers from four teams in three different states shared their voices for my study. All of the teachers participated in some kind of formal data-driven, decision-making process: data teams, professional learning communities, or RTI problem solving.

The pros

Teachers had positive feelings and saw benefits of data.

“I feel more on top of what I’m doing. I feel more confident. I feel like a better instructor.”
“Data helps us stay focused as a team. We have the same goals.”
“I started out by showing my scores from fall to winter and their reaction was ‘Yeah! Good for you!’ And I felt good about that.”
“The kids seeing the posted data was a very encouraging thing. The kids were encouraging each other. They were tutoring each other. They were helping each other. It was a very good motivational tool.”
The potential benefits identified by these teachers are overwhelming. It almost sounds like a silver bullet. But there’s a catch.

The cons

Teachers also expressed negative experiences and feelings toward data.

“I personally can get frustrated sometimes taking the time to collect data just for the sake of data.”
“I thought, I know this stuff. I know what they need to know. I know what I need to do. So why in the world do I have to go through all this fuss? We have to do all this paperwork. Why do we have to do all this?”
“If a student wasn’t on grade level, this was just documenting that.”

When teachers’ experiences with data are “data for the sake of data,” then there is no real reason for teachers to enjoy or benefit or learn from data. It is simply more work with no meaningful payoff for teachers or students.

Data are just print on a page until you add the expertise of a professional educator.

One major hurdle

Teachers and students don’t benefit from data used for punishment, embarrassment, or competition. If the message is not clear about how data will be used, unintended negative consequences can result.

“You’re kind of ranked in a sense. If you pay too much attention to it, it can really get you down.”
“The teachers get one [data sheet] that shows where we’re weak. Which everybody in the whole grade level sees, and your administrators see it. It does feel like a competition sometimes.”
Participants expressed strong emotions about using data to rank teachers. In this type of environment, teachers don’t feel safe taking risks and exploring new teaching strategies. Collaboration is hindered, and relationships are damaged. Yep, now I know why data has become the D-word.

Solution: Empower teachers

Teachers “should be asked, not told, whenever possible, how we should respond instructionally to the data” (Schmoker, 2001, p. 57).

Data are powerful — powerfully good or powerfully bad depending on how they’re used. Honor that power. Handle it with care. Data are just print on a page until you add the expertise of a professional educator.

Data need to be used to empower teachers to make decisions and take action for students. Teachers want and need reassurance that they’re doing it well.

Reference

Schmoker, M. (2001). The results fieldbook: Practical strategies from dramatically improved schools. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

CITATION: Ralston, C.R. (2013). BACKTALK: Teachers empower data. Phi Delta Kappan, 95 (3), 80.