Schools or Districts. The Study

¶ … schools or districts.

The study centered around how data can be used to make decisions. It studied the Grow program "a large-scale data reporting system, developed by the Grow Network for the New York City's

Department of Education, that organizes students' standardized test data into reports customized for teachers, school leaders, and parents." (1) . The report provides various school-based information for parents, teachers, and administrators each according to their specific interests.

As regards teachers, the report provides overviews of priorities for particular ages throughout the country, it groups students in accordance with state-rated standards, and it helps teachers focus on the strengths and weaknesses of each of their students. Evaluating the report, Light et al. (2004) concluded that the data generated by the report can be helpful in informing teacher's decision making regarding their students and in raising their students' potential.

Understanding Standardized testing and using its results in the average classroom can be challenging for many teachers, and schools may have contradictory systems for rating and comprehending standardized tests. It is to that end, that the Grow report can be used effectively in the classroom as means of stabilizing the rating and comprehension of the standardized system and of creating a coherent system of rating grades and improving student performance through the nation.

New York City has already found the Grow Network's web-based reporting system a useful tool for enabling tis educators to the previous years'

test results, overall scores, and scores by each standard tested for each one of their current students. Using this, they can then formulate their own standardized reports and results.

The researchers concluded that technology that provides data can be extremely significant in helping teachers make decisions and in turning education around.

The data for instance of the Grow report helps teachers better understand and assist their students, but the focus should also be, not just on gaining the data but also on analyzing it and on teaching and learning.

Balance too should be made between exclusive use of technology to the exclusion of all else. Teachers should realize that data, whilst helpful, may be applicable only to specific situations and they should cautiously examine application of data to their own. Instruments such as the Grow report can provide usable information, and technological data-driven tools can certainly help the school system. The proviso is that they should be used with understanding and analysis and with the observation that they do not replace personal analysis and knowledge.

The Grow tool can certainly be used in other educational systems to the same end that NYC uses it in its own schools. More so, similar reports and web-based data summaries can be created to help teachers better understand and assist their students.

What additional data would you suggest they collect and analyze to enhance their understanding of the problem and identify sound solutions?

Other web-based data systems may be a comparison of effective strategies that are used to encourage students to learn; or innovations that teachers in various schools have created; or a synthesis of instructional models that have proved useful in the educational system. Comparison of scores of public schools in particular regions can be the content of another web-based data system. Describe at least one method they used that you might consider adopting to diagnose a problem in your school or district.

I might use a web-based data system that would summarize the results of a particular experimental subject or method that the school may have decided to adopt and survey the outcome of its effect on teachers, students, stakeholders, parents throughout the duration of, for instance, a school year. Summarizing the monthly results of implementation of this program with the supplementation of feedback (both observational and surveys) form the various stakeholders may help decide whether to retain the program, modify it (and if so in which ways), or reject it.