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What Data-Driven Instruction Should Really Look Like

By Kathie Marshall

As I entered a Washington conference room a few weeks ago, where I would join a dozen experts from across the nation in a discussion of data-driven school improvement, I felt a bit as though I carried every single teacher in the country on my back. The sense of responsibility I felt to my colleagues was daunting.

The symposium event was sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education. The experts, drawn from across the nation, included administrators from both urban and rural school districts, several research consultants, and an advocate for teacher education programs—all leaders in professional development for educators. Rounding out the group was a first-year Teach for America teacher and me, a former literacy coach who returned to a middle school classroom this year—my 34th year in the profession.

My role, in essence, was to represent teachers in high-needs secondary schools (I teach in Los Angeles Unified) and to share my experiences and perspective on the use of data analysis to support student achievement. I spent many days preparing: researching, reflecting on my own experiences as a teacher and coach, and gathering input from my virtual colleagues in...