What is this data?

My initial response to Linda Darling-Hammond's first few chapters of “The Flat World and Education” is one of skepticism. With every turn of the page, I was thrust into a new set of data and charts representing what? I read an article this past year that flipped my entire perspective on the validity of data. With the increasing need for teachers to analyze data and make subsequent plans to rectify the areas of concern that present themselves, it has become second nature I’m sure to most. I was appointed to a school data committee and asked by administration to “re-package” the scores to make our school look more favorable. It was disappointing that our school had a poor reputation for low test scores, but even more depressing was the PR response: manipulate the data so it looks more positive. I can’t say exactly how I would intend on doing that, but the bottom line is: it’s possible. Research and data can be manipulated in many ways to support or refute claims. Ironically the same information can be used to achieve either end. So going back to the graphs presented in the chapter, I now ask what or how are they testing? How are they presenting the data? I am reticent to believe statistics that claim we are a certain ranking on a global level. It can be disheartening to think the US is so low in so many subject areas. The book highlights how other countries are investing in professional development or emphasizing the need for critical problem solving skills just to name a couple of “effective” educational practices to boost student achievement. Well, I think in relation to my school, and my classroom. Aren’t we doing the same? I suppose this statement suggests how localized I am. What I know, is that I don’t know much about what’s going on in other states. But I can be secure in knowing, I don’t trust this data, I can’t let myself be defeated by random statistics or rankings. I can only be encouraged to see that in my particular situation, we are making wise systemic choices. I have been provided ample professional education opportunities; it was up to me to take advantage of them. With the states’ mandate to complete the Mathematical Thinking for Instruction (MTI) course, it further supports the valuation we place on problem solving skills. So, I will continue to be wary of what I read, and mitigate the depressing impact it can have on my profession, because I see evidence in the classroom to the contrary.