Anyone that knows me will understand how painful typing the title to this newsletter was for me. But I mean it. Sort of.
Data collection at its absolute essence should not be about graphs and fun charts. Data collection in schools should be about gaining information to direct how we can best change adult behavior to get the results we desire. Or, if we are fortunate enough to be already achieving the desired results, we should use the data collection to celebrate success, then prioritize new goals.
While I clearly write this newsletter for educators, I often find that changing the lens helps for a deeper understanding. So, for a minute or so, let’s move away from traditional school examples to help paint a more clear and compelling picture.
EXAMPLE ONE: It is Monday morning after a long weekend of “The diet will start next week” type of eating, drinking, and lack of physical activity. You weigh in (collect data) and now what? You can start to plot the data, analyze the data, blame the data for being wrong (you are simply retaining water) – OR – you can do what makes the most sense. You can begin to change your behavior so that next time you collect the data (weigh in) you have a better result. In fact, the only reason it even makes sense to weigh in is if you are willing to change your behavior based on the results you receive.
EXAMPLE TWO: Just about every other Tuesday you receive a text alert notifying you that you are approaching overdrafting your checking account balance. Again, there are many options on how you can react to the data. You can question the data and inspect your account for fraudulent charges, separate the data into where you spent money and why, create a temporary workaround of changing to minimum payments on your credit cards so this quits happening – OR – you can do the one thing that will ultimately end this Tuesday routine. You can decide to change your own behavior and spending habits so that you don’t receive these alerts anymore.
Data is not intended to create pretty charts and graphs. Data is not intended to ALWAYS provide answers. Data should always force you to do two things. First, data should make you ask questions. Second, data should make you take ownership of your role in helping create the data and, therefore, should lead to a change in YOUR behavior. Data analysis ONLY works if it increases the agency of those analyzing the data.
Said simply, the greatest educators are the ones that believe deep in their soul that they have the ability to impact outcomes. Great leaders, teachers, and staff members view themselves as a KEY part of impacting students and schools and, therefore, they have the agency to help create better outcomes. Looking at data should only serve to amplify this.
This is the key test. If looking at data increases personal responsibility and agency, then data analysis is working the right way. If looking at data increases our ability to blame the test, blame the kids, complain about lack of resources, and defend the strategies used to obtain these results, then why exactly are you even collecting data?
So, as teachers and school leaders I have three questions for you to consider. If you cannot answer resoundingly YES to all of these questions, then the problem you need to address first is not the data. The problem is the mindset of the adults working with the data.
- Does analyzing data lead to changed adult behavior of most (if not all) people analyzing the data?
- Does analyzing data lead to producing more questions than answers and, therefore, sound intellectual discourse?
- Does analyzing data affirm to those looking at the data that they are among the absolute most important factors in creating the data?
Again, if the answers to these questions are not ‘yes’ – then STOP ANALYZING DATA and start working on the mindsets of those working with the data.