Dear Data, Please Make Yourself More Useful

Sincerely, teachers and students

By Brad C. Phillips and Jay J. Pfeiffer

As surely as the trees bud in spring, night turns to day, and the Kardashians provide grist for the tabloids, another education practice—the use of education data—is turning ugly. Factions are setting up camp at two extremes: one for those who believe data is the Holy Grail, and the other for those who shun it.

Meanwhile, our students are counting on us to help them learn and be successful. Consequently, we believe there is a way to acknowledge that both sides have valid concerns, while applying a "usefulness" standard to make sure we're collecting information that actually can be drawn upon to change schools for the better.

While mountains of data exist, there is little that busy people can use to make good decisions. Educators are natural cynics, and their daily interactions with students are often dramatic proof of each student's qualities and the vagaries of growing up. The fixed and standardized ways that data are reported often do not strike educators as relevant or useful. But by focusing on students and the value that data can provide to better understand each one, we change the dynamic, win over teachers,...