Data Use for School Improvement: Findings From Studies of School Leaders’ Decision Making in Accountability Contexts

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Increasingly, policies ask school leaders to move beyond school politics, interests, and/or personal experience to use data and evidence when setting their own school-wide policies. But to what extent, and how, are school leaders using data and evidence in their decisions about the programs they adopt, their assignments of teachers to classrooms, or other school improvement decisions? The papers presented in this symposium address this fundamental question using rich qualitative and mixed methods research designs. Furthermore, these papers address how increased performance accountability impacts leaders’ data use and decision-making.

Sub Unit

• Division L - Educational Policies and Politics / Section 1: Governance, Finance, and Intergovernmental Relations

Chair

• Lydia Rainey, University of Washington

Discussant

• Andrea Conklin Bueschel, Spencer Foundation

Papers

• Differential Impacts: How Accountability Policies Impact School Leaders’ Data Use and Decision Making - Lydia Rainey, University of Washington

• Understanding Schools’ Search for Improvement Strategies - Jessica K. Beaver, Research for Action; Brittan Leigh Hallar, Research for Action

• School Use of Data in the Face of Performance Management Sanctions: Examining the Work of School Leaders and Leadership Teams - Shelby A. Cosner, University of Illinois at Chicago

• The Classroom Assignment Process: Understanding Data Use Across School Contexts - Elise St John, University of Washington - Seattle