"Data-drive instruction can distort the way reading is taught, harming the students who need high-quality instruction the most," Susan B. Neuman concludes from her research team's two years of observation in nine low-income New York City schools. She describes how some students are reminded that they are "failures" every day by color-coded spreadsheets of test score data prominently displayed in the classroom. In addition, the constant emphasis on improving assessment results leads to instruction that features mindless worksheets focused on basic facts, instead of the content-rich instruction these students need. This article creates a vivid picture of instruction that gives students the "unintended message that reading has no real meaning, no delight, and no purpose other than answering one or two questions that are duly recorded on a clipboard." The author does not recommend abandoning data-driven instruction, but rather transforming it to be more student-centered.