Data vs. Evidence
Many people mistakenly believe that the terms “data” and “evidence” are interchangeable, and these words have the same meaning.
Data is factual information such as numbers, percentages, and statistics.
Evidence is data that is relevant and furnishes proof that supports a conclusion.
There is a big difference between independent research, studies, and data collection efforts leading investigators to a conclusion, and cherry-picking data to find “evidence” that will support your predetermined conclusion.
Ed reformers claim many schools are failing to prepare our students for college and careers due to a large number of ineffective teachers working in these schools.
The “evidence” they cite to support their claim/conclusion, is the “high percentage” of first-year college students taking remedial math and reading courses.
Unfortunately, many ed reformers have chosen to ignore and discount plausible evidence that could explain the “high” rate of college students in remedial classes, because this data does not support their predetermined conclusion.
Recent studies have also suggested that standardized placement tests may misidentify students
At a time when more high schools are looking to their graduates’ college-remediation rates as a clue to how well they prepare students for college and careers, new research findings suggest a significant portion of students who test into remedial classes don’t actually need them…Those high rates of remediation have long been used by education policymakers to suggest that primary and secondary schools do not prepare students adequately for college-level work. They were one of the key arguments behind the development of the common core and other standards-reform initiatives…To determine whether all those students were really so unprepared for college-level work, Ms. Scott-Clayton examined the students’ actual high school and college credits earned and grades received.She found that 20 percent of students placed in remedial math and 25 percent of those placed in remedial reading were “severelyData vs. Evidence | WagTheDog:
