A new breed and generation of statisticians has been born. They have degrees in English, Social Studies, Science, Math, Physical Education, and Art; to mention a few. Who are these people and how did they gain such a wealth of knowledge for statistics, with little of no formal training in statistics?
The quest to crack the code of standardized testing has lead so many to puntificate and create their own brand of statistics. Data, Data, Data...everyone's talking about data, but few people have a clue what they are talking about or how to apply the numbers. 2%, 5% or 10%...are these significant digits? Some people neither know how to derive a percentage nor are they able to "tell the story" that the numbers present.
Recently, I read read data that displayed the growth and loss of a particular class. 3% of the class regressed by showing negatives academic gains. Has anyone every tried to calculate the exact number of students that really is? Let's see what I do to clarify this for you...the average class has 25 to 30 students. To calculate the total number that 2% represents, multiply 25 by 0.2. You have to use the decimal value when multiplying a percentage.
The answer is = .5 Oh yeah...half of a student showed a negative gain. Is that a significant digit? Certainly not when you are talking about a single class.
Data serves the same purpose as a clue in a scavenger hunt. It points you to the next step. Far too often, leadership uses data as a gotcha and whipping stick instead of is true purpose. Teachers shudder at the mention of data, as they await the negative.
Maybe we should note that a class with 3% regression rate, means 97% showed progress. One day we will celebrate the positive rather than hammering home the negative.
