Using More Information to Support Student Learning

We must keep our focus on student learning and other important outcomes like graduation and post-secondary matriculation. Boulder Valley School District has a strong record in many areas of student achievement and excellent schools. But we still suffer from unacceptable opportunity and achievement gaps between student subgroups. The pandemic’s impact on student learning, well-being, and social-emotional growth was substantial. I support the use of a wide range of data to inform our efforts at improvement, including state and local testing data, as well as many other measures.

• The most important use of data is at the school-level, where educators and school leaders refine their day-to-day work.

• I believe in de-escalating the conflict over state testing. State testing plays an important role in identifying needs and demonstrating progress, especially in key areas like student growth and analysis of learning among different student groups.

• Our board and the community should use data to understand what is going on in our schools, rather than for ranking them. When trying to understand school improvement efforts, it helps to examine the context of each school and the circumstances that students face; the strategies educators and school leaders are pursuing; and the information they are using to inform their work and to track how it is going.

• BVSD has used testing data and other information responsibly, including to prioritize additional investments in schools that have historical records of achievement gaps and low performance. These types of data applications help kids.

• All sorts of data, in addition to tests, should inform our deliberations about school performance. I support the increased use of additional measures of performance and inputs, like survey data and other input from teachers and students on their experience and perspective.

• I support transparency. We should engage and inform parents.