Show Me The Proof

Information for this page was gleaned from: White, Stephen. (2005). Show Me The Proof. Englewood, CO: Advanced Learning Press.

Show Me The Proof - Summary

Show Me The Proof is the companion handbook to Beyond the Numbers, a fresh look at data analysis that makes a compelling argument for the teacher's expert role in data analysis. Show Me The Proof is really a toolbox - filled with practical analysis tools, methods of analysis, and guidelines for excellence. Stephen White makes the point early in the book that despite numerous and vociferous protestations, the only definitive indicator of effectiveness applied to determine incentives or sanctions is the sum of test scores students achieve on external, and rigorous, assessments - to the general public, tests matter. Guarding against the overreliance on summative state assessment data is critical. White posits that the goal of data anslysis is nothing less than having professionals reach the point where external state assessments are used primarily to corroborate what educators already know is working. He suggests that rather than relying on a state assessment to validate & legitimize their work, educators legitimize their craft by developing measures of teaching, learning, & improving that represent antecedents of excellence, best practices, proven conditions for learning, and teacher behaviors that are embedded & used every day in classrooms & schools.

Types of Data

Data wihout meaning is nothing more than information glut. White summizes that educators who understand the distinctions among types of data are better able to apply the full range of possibilities in their analyses to improve student achievement. He defines data in terms of what professionals intend to do with it - teaching, learning, improving, and persuading. Action must follow analysis - when teams describe data in terms of the acts of teaching, learning, improving, and persuading, it is hard to escape or ignore the need to take some action based on the lessons learned from the data.

Methods of Analysis

Dr. White lists six methods of data analysis that can be aplied to classroom school, department, and school systems. He makes the point that data without analysis is like standards without expectations. A hurried review of data or failure to look critically can easity create a cure that is worse than the disease. A review of each data-analysis method is listed below.

Systems Analysis

Systems analysis is used to bolster our understanding of a system’s purpose, parts, and functions; it is a method of discovery. Clarifying the purpose, parts, and functions of a system. Systems analysis includes the following steps (1) Clarifying the purpose, parts, and function of a system; (2) Examining key components of systems; (3) Revealing interdependence; (4) Discovering unintended consequences; (5) Designing a process to monitor the health of the system. The tools that can be used in systems analysis include:

• Flowcharting or Process Map
• Environmental Scan

Solutions

Solutions are designed to generate answers, finding the most effective resolution to a challenge and achievement goals in spite of barriers. The tools that can be used in solutions include:

• Hishakawa Cause/Effect Fishbone
• Force-Field Analysis

Decision Making

Decision making processes juxtapose values with alternatives to prioritize the decisions that must be made. The major tool utilzed is the Decision-Making Matrix.

Clarification

Clarification analysis is a vehicle that provides specificity & clarity when implementing new programs; it helps align the effort of the initiative to the mission & vision of the organization. The tool to utilize is the clarification analysis template.

Action Research

Action research analysis translates hunches from data into action in classrooms - a hunt for a better way. It is a process that translates hunchs from data patterns and trends into hypotheses & replicable practice. There are six steps in action research: (1)Observe; (2) Hypothesize; (3)Predict; (4) Test the Hypothesis; (5) Gather Data; (6) Explain (draw inferences, conclusions, applications).

Continuous Improvement

The analysis method of continuous improvement improves daily routines & sustains innovation. Educators employ the continuous improvement form of analysis each time they rely on cyucles to examine current practices and make adjustments. The tool untilized is a control chart.

Triangulation Tools

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