Data, data everywhere

Some districts, taking a cue from the business world, are fully embracing data and metrics, recording and analyzing every scrap of information related to school operations, writes Motoko Rich for The New York Times. The goal is improvement in everything from bus routes to classroom cleanliness to reading comprehension. In Jenks, Okla., for example, the district tracks how often teachers use photocopiers. With a bump in use, curriculum supervisors help teachers find supplemental class materials and plan lessons further in advance. After documenting a drop in the size of marching bands, the Arlington Independent School District near Dallas suspended instrument rental fees; band participation jumped. "We've been making most decisions up until now by anecdote or hunch, or by who had the greatest sales pitch or what worked when I was in school," says Aimee Rogstad Guidera of the Data Quality Campaign. Still, critics worry a focus on metrics could sideline intangible factors that enhance learning and inspire students. Just as doctors observe more than blood pressure or cholesterol readings when treating patients, "the same is true in education," says Pedro Noguera of New York University. "If you only look at numbers and don't probe and look at the learning environment -- the culture of the school or the relationships between teachers and students -- you're going to miss a lot." More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.