How do I use student data without losing sight of the kid?

You have learned to use the data, and now you are guarding against its real danger: that the number quietly replaces the child it was only ever meant to describe. That worry is not an obstacle to good teaching. It is good teaching, protecting itself. Hold the data as a flashlight, not a verdict. A score can point you toward where a student is struggling, but it can never tell you why, and the why is where the teaching happens. Let the number raise the question, then turn to the actual kid for the answer. The data starts the conversation; it does not end it. One small habit keeps you honest: whenever a number surprises or worries you, go talk to that student before you decide what it means. Let the child explain the data as often as the data explains the child. Do that, and you get the usefulness of the numbers without ever letting them stand in for the person.