Critical Data Use for Democratic Governance: The Case of School Boards

• In Event: Equity in Data-Driven Decision Making

Abstract

Though data-driven decision-making has the potential to advance more just and equitable schooling, research also shows it can exacerbate inequality. This paper investigates these dual potentialities through a multiple case study of 10 school board members, a group oft-overlooked in extant research. Drawing on democratic and critical theories, it asks how board members use data and the extent to which these practices disrupt or reify educational inequities, concluding with implications for local democratic governance.

Authors

• Julie A. Marsh, University of Southern California

• Akunna Faith Uka, University of Southern California

• Laura Steen Mulfinger, University of Southern California

• James C. Bridgeforth, University of Delaware

• Miguel Casar, University of Alabama