Whether we notice it or not, some words act as triggers in certain circles. If we are not mindful of our vocabulary in the context of our audience, we can unknowingly undermine our own efforts.
In education, “data” is definitely one of these words. It is so broad that it’s almost meaningless, and yet, I would guess for many teachers the word conjures images of wasted hours around a table, squinting at spreadsheets, and hand wringing over school grade points.
We’ve come to believe the term “data” is often misplaced if not misleading. When we say, “We’re going to look at our data,” aren’t we actually conveying a concern for our students’ well-being and academic growth? If so, why do we call them “data reviews,” “data coaches,” and “data walls”? Does anyone else feel simultaneously bored and anxious when hearing these terms?
What if we trained ourselves to replace the word “data” with what we actually mean? Instead of “data chats,” how about “student growth chats”?
Imagine this scenario—
A principal makes an announcement: “Teachers, remember we have a data meeting today at 2:00. We’re going to really dig into our data and find some low-hanging fruit.”
Sounds like it’s about numbers, right? And figuring out how to game a system. Likely teacher responses: Audible groans. Eye rolls. Stomach knots.
Okay, how about this instead—
“Teachers, we have a student growth review today at 2:00. We’re going to dive into our most recent student outcomes and figure out together what instructional adjustments may be in order.”
Did you feel the shift in energy? It’s about student academic success—and empowering teachers to find ways to increase their effect on it. Of course, the corresponding meeting must deliver on this emphasis, or the eye rolling and hand wringing are likely to continue.
Here’s another use case—
During a data chat student growth chat, a teacher expresses a limiting belief like “I’m just not a data person. These reports confuse me.”
What if you could offer a reframing?
“You don’t need to be a data person, but I do need you to be a person who is committed to the academic success of their students. Can you do that?”
“Of course! That’s why I come to work!”
“Awesome! These reports are going to help us see our current results more clearly so we can figure out how to get even better. Are you open to learning how?”
Use of the term “data” in public education is pervasive and often sloppy, and I am including myself and K12 Lift among the guilty. We’ve even used the word loosely in some of the posts on this very blog!
Perhaps we should help one another develop a habit of using more accurate, descriptive terms in the place of “data.”
We recently introduced this idea in one of our districts and have already been corrected on a couple occasions. It makes us smile because it is a refreshing reminder of why we help teachers and districts make meaning of their progress monitoring data—not for the sake of improving data usage per se, but for purposes of improving student learning in ways that leave teachers feeling informed, empowered and encouraged.
To find out more about how K12 Lift helps schools learn from their student outcomes, click here to contact us.
