The Successful School: A Genuine Trend or Statistical Artifice?

Schools are increasingly being expected to make improvements based on data about students' learning outcomes. Such an expectation implies that principals, teachers and key personnel within systems can read and act upon the data available. There is evidence, however, that many people have poor understanding of statistical information, and that many factors inside and outside the school have an effect on students' outcomes. This study considers one primary school's data from statewide testing programs. Trends across time are considered as a basis for making judgments about the school's performance in improving students' learning outcomes in literacy and numeracy.