All About That "Base"

It's all about that "base".........baseline data, that is. :)

If you don't know where your students came from, it's hard to know what direction they are headed.

Data words in our number world

What do our students know? Where do we want them to be? Are they on track for meeting these goals? Are they making growth?

Today was "Data Day" in our district. It was a professional inservice day of really diving into all kinds of data (primarily reading and math) to better understand where our students came from, what they are currently able to do, and what we need to focus on to help them reach their goals. It was interesting to see the harsh reality of our weaknesses as well as celebrate the successes that we sometimes overlook as we are focused on the next thing coming our way.

Although the loads of numbers, graphs, and comparisons tend to get overwhelming at times, it's important to use data to help us make decisions about teaching and learning.

It's also important to remember that students are not just a number,
a dot on a chart, or a color on a data scale.

They are each unique individuals, placed in our classrooms to learn and grow.

They are daughters, sons, grandchildren, classmates, and friends.

They are each deserving of our best, no matter their background, ability, or interest.

They are the difference, and that's just the "base" of what it is all about.