Exploring the Ecology of Equity and Data: A Multilevel District Case

• In Event: Leading Under Pressure: Scholar-Practitioner Research on Equity-Minded Data Use

Abstract

Nearly two decades ago, Wayman and colleagues (2007, 2012) urged districts to adopt systemic strategies for supporting data use. They hoped that diverse assortments of data, including but not limited to accountability-related testing data, might be integrated meaningfully into district improvement. Yet despite the promise of this vision, systemic approaches to equity-oriented data use remain rare. Accountability pressures have narrowed educators’ focus to test scores and achievement gaps (Cho & Wayman, 2014; Roegman et al., 2022), often at the expense of deeper equity concerns such as disrupting deficit thinking or elevating family voice (Datnow & Park, 2018; Dodman et al., 2023; Ishimaru, 2020).

This presentation builds upon that prior scholarship in two key ways. First, it uses Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory to examine how equity-oriented data practices operate across interdependent layers of the school system, from central office leadership to family engagement. Second, it adopts a broader conception of equity and leadership that accounts for bias, power, and historical legacies in shaping how data are defined and prioritized (Dodman et al., 2023; Park, 2018).

We report on doctoral research conducted by a team of four scholar-practitioners focused on issues of data use and equity in a single school district. Following the Boston College model, the team collaborated on data collection and overarching design (Cho et al., 2023), with each scholar-practitioner pursuing a distinct line of inquiry:
-Ostrander investigates how district-level leaders frame educational equity, and their strategies for supporting organizational learning.
-Mosca explores the role of instructional coaches in shaping teachers’ equity-minded data use.
-Jay analyzes data team dynamics, critically evaluating the equity narratives and perspectives that are perpetuated or disrupted.
-Johnston focuses on families of color, examining what kinds of data are meaningful for their school decision-making and how leaders respond to their needs.

This project received IRB approval shortly before the AERA proposal deadline (July 2025) and data collection is now underway. Methodologically, the project employs a qualitative case study design, focusing on a single school district. Data collection will include: 40 semi-structured interviews with various stakeholder groups, including district leaders, school leaders, instructional coaches, intervention teams, and families; eight observations of teacher teams and staff; and documents. Each team member has developed an initial coding schema aligned to their focus area, using flexible codebook design strategies for analytic rigor and alignment (Strunk & Locke, 2019).

The presentation will share both individual and cross-cutting findings to offer a multilayered view of how educators at various levels understand and enact equity-oriented data practices. By illuminating these interconnections, the study contributes a unique, practitioner-informed perspective on the systemic supports needed to promote equity-oriented data use.

Authors

• Sarah Jay, Boston Public Schools

• Ondrea Johnston, Boston Public Schools

• Lindsay Mosca, Boston College

• Tiffany Ostrander

• Vincent Cho, Boston College