Chapter 6: Performance Data and Proven Practices: Empowering Tools to Spur High Levels of Student Reasoning and Achievement

One key to spurring student achievement is knowing to what level students can perform. A second key is knowing how to bring about such achievement. These two statements appear self-evident. They would seemingly be the first questions one would ask when striving to improve student performance. Unfortunately, this has often not been the case. Poor performance—particularly on the part of minority students and those in poverty—is too often explained but not determined by socioeconomic circumstances or lack of ability. But even those educators who do not accept these fictions and believe that all students can be competent learners battle a second hurdle: how to enable all students to master curricula. Enabling all students to perform at high levels is more complex than simply instructing them in the material; it calls for recognizing students’ particular needs and strengths and facilitating students’ use of higher levels of reasoning, so that they truly learn the material—and are prepared to advance in their education.