The Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) is a statewide test that measures the academic achievement of public school students against benchmarks in the Sunshine State Standards. The quarterly reading and math benchmarking exams measure student achievement on individual items against these Sunshine State standards, which school districts require schools to administer to students in the appropriate content area. Teachers and administrators pour in the information at the conclusion of the exam and the data mining begins. The data is analyzed and examined, and teachers present their interpretation of the data to administration to determine what changes need to occur in their classrooms. Teachers, the principal, and the school district use data obtained from benchmark assessments to determine the level of student performance in the classroom and create a strategy that will target those benchmarks where student performance was low. The fundamental issue with the data-driven classroom is the effectiveness of teachers and administrators in interpreting the data from these high-stakes tests and building a success plan that guides instruction based on the needs of the classroom , which are constantly changing. The data-driven classroom provides teachers and administrators with the opportunity to evaluate student achievement and direct instruction to focus on students' individual needs. The data-driven classroom allows for a measurement of student needs and allows for a level of accountability, however, teachers and administrators are occasionally misinformed about how to create effective instructional practices based on data findings. The important issue facing...... middle of paper ......ment at the elementary school level, which educates and empowers students about business, financial literacy, and the fundamentals of job readiness. My work ethic and passionate commitment to learning is strong, as is my love of education and acquiring the skills needed to provide my community with an effective educational leader. As a public school teacher I feel I have a unique advantage in understanding not only what students need for purposeful instruction, but also what teachers need in today's classrooms to become successful educators. I am interested in the connection between student achievement and using data in high-stakes testing to help successfully guide teachers toward meaningful instruction, which is one of the many reasons I want to pursue a doctorate in education with a specialization in Curriculum Leadership.