Purposes and Principles of Data
What are the different types, purposes, and examples of data?
According to Victoria Bernhardt, these are the four different types of data:
Demographic Data
Perception Data
Achievement Data
School Processes
(Bernhardt, 1998, p. 1-3)
When these separate data types are used together, these multiple measures “give schools the information they need to improve teaching and learning to get positive results,” (1998, p. 1). Data can show students learning and overall long-term improvement. More data in more categories improves teaching and learning.
Qualitative and Quantitative Data
There are also quantitative and qualitative types of data. Quantitative data deals with numbers. This form of data can easily be compared and contrasted, although it can be skewed and misused. Qualitative data comes from comments and essays. While it gives good insight, it can only be combined when generalized or categorized.
Demographic Data
- Elements you have little or no control over
- Provides a way to organizing data, allowing you to separate and analyze it
- Examples includes gender, ethnicity, ESL, ELL, bus/walk, socio-economic status, attendance, etc.
Perception Data
- What students (and other stakeholders) think, believe, and perceive about the learning environment
- This covers non-academic data, effort, behavior, etc because they are not measureable
- Examples include questionnaires, thumbs up/down, observations, ticket out the door, etc.
Achievement Data
- Academic
- Comparing a student’s pre-test and post-test
- Compare student to class, class to class, school to school, etc.
- Use other data types to analyze achievement data
- Examples includes high-stakes testing and other assessments
School Processes
- Defines what teachers are doing to get the results they’re getting
- Systematically get data to assess the processes you’re using
- Examples includes programs, instructional strategies, and classroom practices
(Bernhardt, 1998, p. 1-3)
When these separate data types are used together, these multiple measures “give schools the information they need to improve teaching and learning to get positive results,” (1998, p. 1). Data can show students learning and overall long-term improvement. More data in more categories improves teaching and learning.
Qualitative and Quantitative Data
There are also quantitative and qualitative types of data. Quantitative data deals with numbers. This form of data can easily be compared and contrasted, although it can be skewed and misused. Qualitative data comes from comments and essays. While it gives good insight, it can only be combined when generalized or categorized.
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