When Rigor Aligns: Birmingham’s Data-Informed Path to Deeper Thinking
As we continue our mission to make thinking the minimum for every student, we are excited to share this month’s partner spotlight, centered on data-informed instruction. Data-informed is one of the core commitments in our pledge. When educators commit to being data-informed, they move beyond simply reviewing scores to examining evidence of student thinking. This intentional use of data empowers teachers to adjust instruction, deepen learning, and create stronger pathways to success for every student.
One thing our executive director Zach always says is, “we evaluate what we value”. This is exactly why we selected Birmingham Community Charter High School in Los Angeles, CA. Their time partnering with Thinking Nation displays how they use data to inform their intentionality behind instruction with their students. We interviewed Birmingham teacher, Dr. Carlo Aaron Purther to share more about their data-driven approach.
Q: What does it mean to make thinking the minimum standard in your classroom?
A: Without critical thinking, what are we left with in a classroom? Yes students need to know the who, what, when, when, where, and why, but from purposeful lessons, designs, or writing comes critical thinking and application across not only content areas, but needs throughout life.
Q: Can you share a specific moment, lesson, or student experience that stands out?
A: Most recently, students chose between the Adam Smith Curated Research Paper and the Private Property Curated Research Paper in my Economics class. By the second day, students were fully engaged. The most meaningful moments came when students began asking thoughtful questions that showed deep thinking. For example, while reading Document D by Bernanke on financial regulation, one student connected the text to what they had heard about the 2008 economic crisis. That connection to our lesson was powerful, and I began to see similar connections across other topics, including fiscal and monetary policy.
Q: What are you most excited about as you continue this journey with Thinking Nation and your students?
A: I value purposeful curriculum and purposeful writing. Purpose drives my instruction. An essential question gives students a clear direction for their thinking. I use overarching essential questions for my courses, and my units are intentionally designed to support those questions. Student work and responses to these questions provide meaningful data that guide my instructional decisions. The Thinking Nation resources and curriculum align with this approach, helping me use student thinking as data to adjust instruction and deepen understanding.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with other educators about the impact Thinking Nation has had in your classroom?
A:Writing with purpose supports the development of critical thinking and cognitive skills, leading to deeper engagement with the curriculum. Purposeful writing builds essential skills such as summarizing, organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing. As students gain experience, they learn to transfer these skills beyond the essay to other academic and real-world contexts, adapt their tone and language for different audiences, use evidence and reasoning to advocate for ideas, and meet more rigorous academic expectations. Purposeful writing also fosters independence, resilience, and ownership of learning while supporting personal growth and emotional intelligence. Ultimately, it shifts writing from a task to be completed into a powerful tool for thinking, communication, and meaningful impact.
Data is not just something we collect, it is how we reflect, refine, and recommit to strong instruction. Every assessment tells a story about the learning experiences we design and the opportunities we create for students to think deeply. When instruction, resources, and assessments are aligned in rigor, data becomes a tool for growth rather than uncertainty.