Crunching Numbers, Changing Practices

Learning Forward

Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.

Crunching numbers, changing practices

A close look at student data turns the tide in efforts to close the achievement gap

As I stood at the door of the 4th-grade classroom, I couldn’t help but notice how busy the room was. Pairs of students sat at desks and on the floor with lapboards, taking turns reading and reacting to one another’s stories. Other students were engrossed in writing at their desks. A few stood at the table on the far wall returning folders to the sets of files there. The teacher looked up and nodded at me before returning her attention to the student sitting beside her, the piece of writing between them the obvious focus of their deep conversation. As principal of Viewmont Elementary School in Hickory, N.C., I noticed in this brief snapshot that every student was engaged and that this group of learners

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