Bloom’s Taxonomy

Within each of the business processes in improve, the level descriptions are based on a model known as Bloom’s Taxonomy. Originally created by Benjamin Bloom to categorise thinking skills, we have adapted the model to describe schools’ use of data.

Bloom’s taxonomy	Description of thinking	Data analogy
Knowledge	Observation and recall of information	Ability to input and recall electronic data
Comprehension	Understanding information, grasp meaning, translate knowledge into new context	Data can be organized into formats and reports suitable for routine purposes
Application	Use information; use methods, concepts, theories in new situations; solve problems using required skills or knowledge	Sufficient data and expertise exists to create reports and formats which permit pursuit of new lines of enquiry
Analysis	Seeing patterns; organization of parts; recognition of hidden meanings; identification of components	Interrogating, or “drilling” into an aspect of the data to explore patterns and trends
Synthesis	Use old ideas to create new ones; generalize from given facts; relate knowledge from several areas; predict, draw conclusions	Drawing together data across several areas of MIS to establish causal links and obtain a more rounded picture. Synthesising the needs of different stakeholders
Evaluation	Compare and discriminate between ideas; assess value of theories; make choices based on reasoned argument; verify value of evidence	Within a data-rich environment and sufficient data infrastructure, senior leaders can examine and evaluate past performance and use data intelligently to inform decisions about the future.

As far as possible, all statements across the improve framework refer back to this model. For example, across each strand, the first level covers simple data entry and recall within the appropriate context.

The upper level, evaluation, is really beyond the capability of any MIS. It is a description, though, of the possible depth of leadership which becomes possible in schools if the management system supports a school-wide data strategy.