This is a trend that's been around for some time. When I taught high school in Baltimore City Public Schools in 2008, my experience with data-driven education was decidedly negative. The mantra was basically the more data the better, and we collected data for its own sake. Not a whole lot of thought went into the validity of the data or its analysis. It added a tremendous amount of overhead and already insanely stressful job.
That's not to say that data couldn't be really useful. It would be great to basically get rid of age-based grade system and the track system (honors, regular, remedial) and simply let children move along in each subject as they demonstrate progress.
But, unfortunately, we're stuck educational policy culture constantly on the search for silver-bullet solutions. "Data" is just the latest iteration of a great idea, perverted by a need to shoehorn it into a system that refuses to truly adapt.
That's not to say that data couldn't be really useful. It would be great to basically get rid of age-based grade system and the track system (honors, regular, remedial) and simply let children move along in each subject as they demonstrate progress.
But, unfortunately, we're stuck educational policy culture constantly on the search for silver-bullet solutions. "Data" is just the latest iteration of a great idea, perverted by a need to shoehorn it into a system that refuses to truly adapt.