Soft data cuts to the
core of our actions
A focus on soft data
helps school leaders
and teachers identify
datasets and root
causes impeding
equity, access and
opportunity that are
often missed but
essential to student
achievement.
For years, the focus of hard data use
in schools has been on test scores. More re-
cently, it has come to include other types of
disaggregated descriptive statistics that an-
swer questions like which students are being
referred to the office, which are being sus-
pended and expelled, which have access to
special programs and classes, and which stu-
dents have the most experienced teachers.
Inclusion of these datasets allows us to
conduct comparative analysis and to acquire
a better picture of equity and access. On the
other hand, they don’t answer questions
about how and why, nor do they unearth
root causes impeding student achievement.
For that, we turn to soft data.
What is soft data
Soft data provides information about the
interactions between school stakeholders.
It’s acquired by observing and talking with
students, adults, parents and other school-
community members. Soft data is uncovered
in a number of places, including, but not
limited to, classrooms, staff lounges, front
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Leadership
offices, playgrounds, athletic fields, the hall-
ways and corners of the school.
Examples include observations in the
front office, when students sent there for the
same school offense are treated differently;
the classroom, when a teacher offers a smile
to some students and a grimace to others;
and in the staff lounge, when adults speak
highly of some students and not so highly
of others.
Soft data answers questions such as, do
noon duty personnel greet stakeholders
with a smile and concern, and if so is this
same courtesy extended to all or a select few?
Similarly, do administrators greet all stake-
holders with the same courtesy? If not, who
gets what type of treatment? For example,
when two parents, enter the office, one well
dressed and one not, are they treated equally,
not to mention equitably? Do we as teach-
ers show deference for select students in our
classrooms? Do we push some students to
their limits? Do we make eye contact with
By Cheryl James-Ward