Do Schools in Challenging and More Advantageous Circumstances Differ in Terms of Data Use?

• In Event: Advancing the Practice of Using Assessment Data for Instructional Improvements in K–12 Settings

Abstract

Following insufficient results in student assessments, educational policy called on educators for evidence-informed practice. An information-rich environment was also found to be effective for schools in challenging circumstances; however, it is crucial to investigate whether evidence is actually used by practitioners. The paper analyzes how much importance German practitioners attach to particular types of evidence and which information sources they use most frequently. Altogether, 2,014 practitioners and 4,626 students were surveyed and 35 face-to-face interviews were conducted. The findings hint at a less intense use of data in schools in deprived areas, but positive correlations between teachers’ use of instruments for assessing students’ language proficiency and students’ competences in the language of instruction could be observed on the school level.

Authors

• Denise Demski, University of Duisburg-Essen

• Isabell Van Ackeren, University of Duisburg Essen

• Kathrin Racherbäumer, University Duisburg - Essen