Data-Driven Education

“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."

- Albert Einstein 

Data driven education is a phenomenon sweeping the nation. From International Test Scores to Newsweek Rankings to AP, ACT, and SAT scores, the focus of education seems more than ever to focus on measurables. This is certainly the case in Michigan, a state that recently raised its MEAP cut scores and a state that has mandated that by 2014, 50% of teacher evaluations be based on student test scores. But for all of this hype over metrics, there are very few indications to suggest that test scores tell all, or even most, of the story. After all, people learn differently – so can you truly measure their knowledge based on a standardized timed exam? After all, the content on the tests themselves is written by professors and academics – so are the questions truly representative of differing views and backgrounds? And after all, critical thinking and problem solving are major components of education – does filling in bubbles truly measure this?

I would argue that the answer to all of these questions is no. So what has spurred this move toward data-driven education? Perhaps it is the fear that if we do not gear ourselves toward standardized testing, we will fall further behind on international exams. Maybe it is the fear that if we do not increase the sheer number of facts our students know, we will fall behind economically. And these are valid concerns. I concede that there is something to the old adage that: “If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.” At a basic level, we do have to find a way to measure student performance. But we cannot continue to pretend that test scores are a wholesome indicator of education.

Why? Because when teachers are told that they will be evaluated based on their students' test scores, it only serves to exacerbate the “teaching to the test” phenomenon. When students are told the value of their education is determined by their score on a test, they become very good at buying and studying from Princeton Review books. So increasing standardized testing is not a bad thing if we simply want students to learn facts and fill in the correlating bubbles. But if we want to help encourage critical thinking and teach problem solving skills, it's not the answer.

The fact is that in the United States of America, we have always been known for our creativity and innovation. We have been pioneers in education, industry, and now, service. The skills needed to accomplish these feats are ones that tests cannot measure. They are skills that must be developed through teaching methods that don't emphasize just factual knowledge, but also emphasize critical thinking and application. They are skills that our students need in order to be successful – and as we face the threats and the opportunities of a 21st century global economy, they are skills that are more important than ever.