Dive Brief:
- A number of school districts profiled in the New York Times have turned to data to improve everything from reading comprehension to school bus routes.
- While some argue that the nation's obsession with data in schools has harmed the concept of learning and should be left to the business world, the schools profiled have found ways to use data to their advantage.
- In terms of the classroom, data advocates argue that it gives educators evidence of what does and doesn't work.
Dive Insight:
The downside of too much data collection is that it can force schools to focus only on what is measurable. Can a child's happiness be measured? How about creativity? Focusing on data creates a very limited view of success. On the flip side, data can be qualitative and can be used to survey what people think about the lunch schedule, or the most effective way to plot a bus route, or how students feel in reading groups. Evidence provided by data allows a chance to improve in many areas. The key for schools is finding the right balance.
