Analyzing Data
There is no single method for analyzing data, but here are some suggestions whether you are a parent/family member, teacher, staff member, or educational leader:
When analyzing data in our schools it is easy to form simple opinions without considering the complexity of the data. For example, if the student achievement results decreased, it might be easy to simply say the results were bad this year. However, no matter the results there are always areas to celebrate and areas to improve. Consider the following questions when analyzing data:
There are many tools or “data protocols” for analyzing data, and while no single tool is best, it is helpful to have a structured data analysis process, especially when a group of people are analyzing data. Here are some simple data analysis protocols that can be used by parents/family members, teachers, staff, and other educators.
This is another good place to collect qualitative data because after an analysis of quantitative data is completed, people may have questions about why the scores improved or why the attendance decreased. In other words, it might be helpful to go back and talking with the students, teachers, parents or other people involved to understand the story behind the quantitative data.
