Building a Conceptual Framework for Data Literacy

• In Event: Using Data for School and Student Performance Improvement

Abstract

This paper reports on the work to develop a conceptual framework to undergird research, development, capacity building, and discussions around data literacy. Data literacy typically is interpreted as the collection, examination, analysis, and interpretation of data to inform some sort of decision in an educational setting. The field has been seeking both a definition of data literacy and a conceptual framework to inform research, capacity building, and policymaking (Mandinach & Gummer, 2012, 2013a). For teachers and classroom data use, the capacity to use data is intimately linked to content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Thus, this article presents a conceptualization of pedagogical data literacy or data literacy for teaching in particular domains. Acknowledging the role-based nature of data literacy, the article also presents ideas about what the construct might look like for educators in various leadership roles, such as principals, curriculum coordinators, superintendents, and chief state school officers. The paper also builds on the notion of a continuum from data to information and ultimately to actionable knowledge (Mandinach, Honey, Light, & Brunner 2008). It takes into consideration diverse sources of data from moment-to-moment data such as what a teacher obtains in the formative assessment process to more longer-term data that are used to inform curriculum planning, placement, and accountability. Given role dependence, the article explores where along the continuum, data literacy requirements might reside. For example, high-level leaders and policymakers, may not need to dig down to the level of data analysis but they certainly must be information literate and evidence-based. For teachers, the conceptual framework acknowledges that data literacy must be combined with content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge to create a construct referred to as pedagogical data literacy or data literacy for teaching in particular content areas. For principals, there is a need to add administrative skills as well. For superintendents, they may need to be more consumers of information, taking synthesized information from reports and documents. This paper will provide the theoretical framing for the rest of the papers in the session. It will also explore some of the emerging policy orientations for the preparation of educators to use data (CCSSO, 2012; Mandinach & Gummer, 2013b; NCATE, 2010)

Authors

• Edith Gummer, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

• Ellen B. Mandinach, WestEd