Quality in Education

Everyone says they are "data driven"- but are they?  What exactly does "data driven" mean and how does one make a "data driven decision?"  It appears to me that the term has become quite popular, overused and is almost seen as a fad that arrived with the onset of No Child Left Behind.

It is obvious that much data exists in the school system... here are some samples:
• Demographic data- Includes background information on students such as gender, ethnicity, identification number, number of years in the district, attendance, etc.
• Achievement data- Includes student results on state assessments, district tests and teacher-developed tests.
• Instructional processes- Includes information about the curriculum, interventions the student experienced, the teachers students were taught by and so on.
• Perception data- Includes individual views, values and beliefs about systems where people work and learn, and may be gathered through questionnaires, interviews and observations.  Often this is refered to as customer/stakeholder satisfaction data.

So what?  So we can collect all of this data... Does that mean we are data driven?  It is only when we apply this data in the decision-making process various questions can be answered and we become "data driven". For example, by using information on the instructional processes students experience, educators can determine which programs or instructional strategies are working (or not working) for which students, and whether additional programs or srategies are needed. 

To be truly data driven, educators need "in-process" measures that allow mid-stream adjustments before the end product or process is derived.  I don't believe we can be data driven without including the element of using data to drive continuous improvements in an on-going manner.  Simply collecting data doesn't quality for the title of being "data driven."

How have you used data to design instruction?  What are the advantages of using data to drive instruction? How can you improve the process of utilizing data in your classroom?  Are you data driven?

Jay