“Are you the one in charge of this group of kids?”

This inquiry has caused many school administrators to hold their breath over the course of time. And I must admit that when I was approached on the pool deck of the hotel while on the senior class trip, I did just the same. A gentleman getting up from his chaise continued: “You know, we come to this same hotel every year, and we were really worried the first time we overlapped with your school.” He continued to note that now they just know that “the kids” arrive on Wednesday of their vacation, and they always look forward to seeing them. And I exhaled through a big smile.

What a phenomenal piece of feedback for all of us – our students comport themselves so well on these trips that complete strangers look forward to sharing their vacation with them. Awesome data to have!

But how do we develop meaningful understanding from data that allows us to make confident decisions? Cary Academy’s Portrait of a Graduate notes that, among other things, “the CA student graduates as…A critical thinker who:

• gathers, analyzes and evaluates evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs
  interprets information and draws conclusions based on the best analysis.”
• Given this age of ubiquitous information, data literacy clearly is a skill that is touched upon in many of our classes. Just yesterday, as I was visiting classrooms (my advisees may read: checking up on them), I was happy to join in a few conversations dedicated to data.

Physics class was plotting data points on a line graph, then calculating the slope to help predict mileage range of a vehicle. While it was determined that I would not have enough gas in one tank to make it to my grandmother’s house, students noted that seeing the relationship of data points helps with predictability and decision-making.

Just down the hall in Advanced Statistics class, students were comparing published polling data with responses to the same questions that they asked members of the CA community – apparently this was why I was asked on my way to that physics class if I would support a law limiting the serving size of soda pop in restaurants in North Carolina. Students were then using TinkerPlots to analyze the polling data, and discovered that the only truth with polls is that they can be manipulated to show different meanings.

While my feedback data from that one hotel guest may not be enough to be statistically relevant, I am confident that our students aspire to fulfill another key area of or Portrait of a Graduate: A model of Respect, Integrity, and Compassion who:

• understands and appreciates similarities and differences between the customs, values, and beliefs of their own cultures and the cultures of others
• takes responsibility as a global citizen and acts with the interests of the local and world community in mind
• demonstrates empathy and generosity and promotes equity and social justice
• functions as responsible steward of both his or her immediate surroundings and the larger environment
• serves as positive role model by striving to do his or her best at all times

So the next time someone asks me “Are you in charge of this group of kids?” I won’t hold my breath.