Beyond the Numbers: Making Data Work for Teachers and School Leaders

by Stephen White
Publisher: Advanced Learning Press

Long overdue, Beyond the Numbers is one of the first books to really examine the process of data analysis for practitioners. The book is built on a solid research foundation, based on collaboration, accountability, and leveraging of antecedents that has produced innovation after innovation in data analysis, reflection, decision making, and evaluation.

Everyone has seen what is commonly called accountability – the reporting of annual state test scores in the local newspaper. Dr. White demonstrates that accountability is more than test scores. Using state test scores to determine if educators are ‘doing their job’ could be equated with the following scenario:

Imagine that your daughter lost 25 lbs. “We know the result precisely, and the data is unequivocal. We even know she lost 25 lbs. in three (3) months. Should we celebrate because she reached her goal through exercise and nutrition, or should this be a serious cause for alarm because the weight loss was a product of anorexia or drug abuse? Without the capacity to determine what actions resulted in the weight loss, we can’t know. The illustration makes the case for knowing the causes that produce results, for understanding the antecedents that lead to improved student achievement.”

In going beyond the numbers of the annual state test, professional practice is linked with the ensuing results. Multiple data sets are examined to ensure reliability. Strongly tied to continuous improvement cycles, this book also includes a scoring guide or rubric for not only self-assessing the use of data, but also for providing powerful descriptions of what would be proficient or exemplary. The following elements are considered: Management of Data; Antecedents of Excellence; Collaboration Around Student Work; Accountability; Triangulation; and, Replication.

The standards movement is not going to go away. Standards are a fair and moral way to measure student achievement, not measuring one student against another. Students are frequently over-tested, but under-assessed. Students take many, many tests, but the question to be begged is how is the information being used to change instruction so that achievement is affected positively.

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