They look at their results and figure out what would work better. I mean, he knows math. Tests are a tool, not a trial These days, every school has drawers stuffed with achievement data, from test scores and dropout reports to attendance records and grades. But interviews and school visits make it clear that many educators are familiar only with the vaguest outlines of their results. They're too busy to dig through more paperwork.
Test scores come out during summer break.
And educators often trust their own sense of what works, not a jumble of numbers on a page. But metro schools that outperform their peers tend to see data as integral to becoming better. If you take a week to take the tests, you'd better find at least a week to figure out the results. That means the junior high must produce very high academic achievement to claim it is living up to its potential. Teaching rigorous material with a lot of energy and creativity helps, but it isn't enough, says Carol Patterson, a seventh-grade reading teacher.