Stupid data
Modern education systems are driven by data.
The data creates a particular reality in a school.
That reality shapes how kids see themselves as learners, what they believe they can do, and how they feel about their place in the world.
But what if the data that creates that reality is flawed?
Because if we’re going to be driven by data, we have a moral imperative to use data-gathering methods that help us get as close as possible to the truth of what a kid can do.
But it doesn’t. It is gathered under artificial, constricting, and anxiety-inducing conditions. No one does their best in these conditions.
And so that question needs to be a statement - the data that carries weight in schools and education systems, and thus creates the reality within which our kids grow, is flawed.
No wonder the more data-driven the system has become, the stupider the kids have seemed.
Something to try that might make a difference
We want to get as close as possible to the truth of their ability, so ...
Give students choices about how they demonstrate their ability.
Perhaps they can develop a portfolio. Perhaps they’re more comfortable with a one-off demonstration. Perhaps they can use a project to demonstrate their ability.
Some kids might need your help and guidance here: they may opt for the easy option, or their choice limits what they can demonstrate.
Kath Murdoch’s book The Power of Inquiry is a valuable reference for this. On pages 136 and 137 she outlines six ‘windows on understanding’ (explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy, self-knowledge) and lists tasks, questions, and routines likely to elicit/surface each.