In Nepal, our exam system is obsessed with Position.

“Who came First?” “Who failed Math?”

We use data to rank students, label them, and then move on to the next unit. This is like a doctor taking your temperature, telling you “You have a fever,” and then sending you home without medicine.

Data shouldn’t just be a scoreboard. It should be a diagnostic tool.

The purpose of data is not to judge, but to guide.

The “Red Flag” Spreadsheet

I want you to build a simple tool I call the “Red Flag Sheet.”

It’s not complex software. It’s just a Google Sheet (or Excel file) where you track specific skills, not just total marks.

How to Build It:

Instead of columns like “Unit Test 1 (Total)”, break it down:

• Column A: Student Name
• Column B: Algebra Question (5 Marks)
• Column C: Geometry Question (5 Marks)
• Column D: Word Problem (5 Marks)

The Magic of Conditional Formatting

Now, select all your data cells. Go to Format > Conditional Formatting.

• If value < 3: Turn cell RED.
• If value >= 4: Turn cell GREEN.

What This Reveals

Suddenly, you don’t just see “Ram got 10/15.” You see where Ram is struggling.

• If the whole class has a RED column for “Geometry,” it means you didn’t teach Geometry well enough. You need to re-teach it.
• If clear “A” students all failed the “Word Problem,” it means they know the math but struggle with language.
• If one student is RED across everything, they need a 1-on-1 intervention immediately.

Moving from “Post-Mortem” to “Preventative”

Usually, we find out a student doesn’t understand a topic during the Terminal Exam. By then, it’s too late. The marks are printed. The parents are angry.

By using micro-data (quiz by quiz, question by question), you can catch the problem on Tuesday so you can fix it by Friday.

The Teacher Developer Mindset

A software developer monitors their server logs to find errors before the website crashes. A Teacher Developer monitors student data to find confusion before the student crashes.

Stop using data to judge. Start using data to save.