The Impact of Professional Development on Data-Based Decision-Making for Students With Extensive Support Needs

Abstract

There is evidence that data-based decision-making (DBDM) can improve outcomes for a wide range of students. However, less is known about how special education teachers are trained to use data to inform instruction that targets academic progress for students with extensive support needs (ESN). The purpose of this systematic literature review was to describe the intervention literature on the impact of professional development (PD) on teachers’ use of DBDM for students with ESN. Eight studies were identified. The DBDM interventions primarily targeted teachers’ decision-making related to instruction in individualized curricular goals or academics in functional contexts and were driven by data on isolated skills and concrete decision rules. All but one study documented some improvement in teacher or student outcomes after DBDM PD. Suggestions for future research, limitations of this review, and implications for practice—including student progress in the general education curriculum—are discussed.