This is a very good book. When the output of many university departments of education in the UK seems to focus on a Marxist analysis of policy it is a delight to read something from Canada that actually seeks to improve practice and inform the reflective practitioner. This is a very good book and the Canadian educationalists should be congratulated on producing a high quality piece of work.
In general terms the book is well laid out and well presented making it easy for the reader to access. There is a good use of colour and display and the use of “deliberate pauses” help the reader to reflect on key ideas and concepts. The use of “narratives from the field” and “case studies” root the discussions of the book in improving effective practice. The key concepts in the book are based on the premise that both effective data and effective teaching are required for success. The book recognises that so much of good education is hard to measure. It also makes the strong moral point that numbers represent real children and data is not an abstract concept. The chapters consider the following key ideas.
Chapter 1 “From information glut to well‐known FACES” sets the context for the book and shows how data is used. It makes the point that the volume of data that is available is often presented in an indigestible and dehumanised way and that it is vital to put FACES to data if we are to pinpoint action which will be effective in improving children's learning.
Chapter 2 “The power of putting FACES in the data” considers why we should put faces to the data in terms of instruction, assessment and ownership. It considers how we should discuss work with students and use data to determine the next learning steps. This chapter considers the role of leadership in knowing about best practice, mobilising staff and students in a collaborative culture for learning and sustainability by building relationships based on trust.
Chapter 3 “Making it work in practice – assessment”. This chapter looks at what data sources say about students. It argues that this is necessary to stimulate further learning improvements and to satisfy public accountability. To do this the chapter argues that we need to engage all in the education system to use data for improvement and not just accountability. They argue this will only happen if there are agreed principles for using data, to include effective professional development of teachers and above all the need to engage the emotional commitment of all the students (the FACES).
Chapter 4 “Making it work in practice‐instruction”. The chapter focuses on instructional skills and practices that underpin improvements of assessment and instruction. This is outlined as a three‐stage approach: good teaching and classroom practice, individual student case management based on debate and internal intervention and a focus on early intervention.
Chapter 5 “Leadership – individualizing for improvement” focuses on the leadership needed to make sure a balanced and integrated system works. Chapter 6 “Ownership of all the FACES” considers who is accountable for effective use of data.
The book sets out to integrate two aspects of school improvement that most think are mutually exclusive: data to improve schools and systems and data to improve the individual child's learning experience. It is a remarkable book as it achieves this challenging task. A great read.
