The Approach to Data in Education Needs to Be Rethought
The new government’s proposed school scorecard in the United Kingdom presents an opportunity to model a more human-centered approach to data and accountability. However, current data-driven approaches are falling short of meeting students' needs and are, in many cases, exacerbating existing problems.
Data plays a central role in schools, from analyzing student performance to tracking attendance. Yet, much of this data overlooks students' holistic wellbeing, focusing solely on academic performance while failing to capture the richness of their experiences and the barriers to learning they face.
A more detailed data collection method known as “street data,” used by educators in the U.S., captures students’ views and narratives, providing an analytical advantage in creating more positive and inclusive cultures.
Our current use of data is leading us down dehumanizing and potentially dangerous paths. Therefore, we need to rethink the purpose of our data and develop new methods for collecting and interpreting it. The new government’s accountability scorecard could be an early opportunity to bring about these changes.
To humanize our data, efforts to rebalance accountability should not simply lead to more data collection. Instead, they should focus on new ways of understanding, collecting, and interpreting data.
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