data, photography, education
15 September 2019
I have always loved numbers. I think they have the ability to tell stories, show perspectives, create transparency, and drive decisions.
When you ask an 8th grader what their favorite subject is, the odds are relatively slim that they will say “math.” When you ask that same question to an 8th grader who has been continuously told how far behind they are, whose math classes have been taught by a series of long term substitutes, and who sees very few models of their identity as mathematicians, it is almost certain that they will reply “any subject but math.”
When I walked into my 1st day of teaching, I was the sole 8th grade math teacher responsible for creating a math curriculum and delivering it to students who saw math class as the place they feel least capable. To say the least, I was overwhelmed and completely unprepared.
By the end of my second year of teaching, 83% of my students had grown 1 or more grade levels in a single year, representing the highest growth in the district. We did not get to this level of growth by direct instruction or just going through the motions of the curriculum. We didn’t get there by having students memorize their multiplication tables or formulas. We got there by using data to celebrate growth and keep students accountable, employing education technologies that foster an equitable learning experience and data transparancy, and empowering students to use numbers to show their perspective and voice in a world where their voice is traditionally undervalued and unheard.
So yes, I have always loved numbers. However, now I see numbers as part of the route towards educational equity. More specifically, I believe the bias-informed application of data science in education will be an important part of the effort towards changing the education and related landscapes to serve all students, regardless of zip code.
“Now I see numbers as part of the route towards educational equity.”