The Role of Leadership in Data Use for Program Improvement Among Teacher Education Programs

• In Event: 65.079 - Roundtable Session 23
  In Roundtable Session: 65.079-12 - Unpacking Teacher Education Programs: Questions About the Content and Consistency of These Programs

Abstract

Increasingly, state and federal policies in teacher education include substantive mandates related to outcomes-based evaluation, accountability, and evidence-based program improvement, yet little is known about how programs use data for program improvement. This paper empirically examines data use within teacher education programs with a focus upon leadership practices. We focus here because of the important role that leadership practice has been found to play in educational change efforts in general and in the facilitation of data use in particular. Findings indicate that strong leadership was prevalent in virtually all of the “high data use” programs, and that these programs focused on inquiry related to their own agendas for program improvement, rather than compliance with external policy mandates.

Authors

• Elise St John, San Jose State University

• Charles A. Peck, University of Washington