Looking Deeper Into the Data

Reeves talks about the significance of analyzing student test-score data. He suggests four tips for gaining control over the flood of data. First, commit to data analysis as a continuous process, not an event. Second, start with a clearly focused question. Third, develop a schoolwide culture of hypothesis testing, in which teachers consider their assumptions before they look at the data. Fourth, go beyond the numbers to consider causes of student success and failure. He further asserts that student test-score data is only one piece of a complex puzzle. There are faces, names, and real lives behind the data.