“What Does the Data Tell Us?”: Reimagining Data Use Research for Instructional Improvement

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Teachers as Agents of Equity: Data, Democracy, and Instructional Change

Abstract

This paper critically examines the promise and limitations of Data Informed Decision Making (DIDM) as a means to improve instructional practice and student learning in K–12 education. Since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, policy has centered on equipping teachers with data analysis skills through professional development (PD). While research indicates that data use PD often advances teachers’ data literacy and attitudes, it rarely results in changes in teaching practice. This review synthesizes empirical findings on data use PD, highlighting gaps in data use PD efficacy and the limited impact on instructional change. The paper offers recommendations for designing and evaluating PD that moves beyond surface-level remediation, challenges deficit-based practices, and supports teachers in making instructional adjustments.

Author

• Adejah Taylor, University of California - Los Angeles