Data-based decision making is all the rage. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (2009) has emphatically declared, "I am a deep believer in the power of data to drive our decisions. Data gives us the roadmap to reform. It tells us where we are, where we need to go, and who is most at risk." In the past few years, all 50 states have adopted most or…

Premature application of quantitative indicators formerly used for individual assessment and research to bureaucratic decision making can produce side effects that are dysfunctional in nature. In order to illustrate this phenomenon, the author reviews a general literature and utilizes examples form mental health care. (Author/BW)

In support of Ginsberg's theory (TM 508 964), a third corollary to the Conservation of Discretion Law is proposed: Where possible, the worker will use a statistic not as a statistic but, rather, as an instrument to reduce the workload. Three illustrations are presented: grade point averages, crime rates, and recidivism rates. (BW)