Data Use In Schools Research Articles

When data don’t drive: teacher agency in data use efforts in low-performing schools

ABSTRACTGrounded in the belief that data will drive instructional change, data-driven decision making continues to be a prevalent reform strategy in schools. However, the use of data does not always prompt teachers to change their instructional practices, particularly in low-performing schools where accountability pressures loom large. Drawing on in-depth qualitative data gathered in 4 middle schools, we explore the questions: What is the interplay of teacher agency with the structure and culture of data use in schools? How do teachers exercise agency in efforts to use data for instructional change in low-performing schools? We found that within prevailing accountability frameworks, teachers exercised agency to bridge structural and cultural gaps between data use and instructional improvement; yet, their efforts were kept largely on the periphery. Implications for policy and research are discussed.

Data use in Kenyan secondary schools

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the data available and their use by Kenyan secondary school teachers and head teachers.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative case study design, this study utilised interviews and documentary evidence to explore the data available and their use within Kenyan schools.FindingsThe data available in Kenyan schools were similar except for context data which had slight variations between schools. Head teachers mainly used school-level data to monitor school functioning, plan and develop school-level policies which mainly focused on school and curriculum improvement but little on teacher improvement. Teacher improvement attempts were mostly via benchmarking. The results also show that Kenyan head teachers hide inspection reports from teachers and that some head teachers used data creatively than others. For example, one head teacher used data to start a feeding programme to support economically disadvantaged students. Teachers, however, mostly used classroom-level data to plan lessons and monitor students’ progress.Research limitations/implicationsThe study results may be used for data use comparative studies between developing and developed countries.Practical implicationsBased on the findings, data use training is needed to help Kenyan schools use data to improve teachers and teaching.Originality/valueAccountability and data use are at the centre of many school improvement efforts the world over. The last two decades, for example, show pressure on schools to account for the resources invested and for the education they provide to children mainly in the form of data. Regrettably, studies pay little attention to data use in schools within developing countries such as Kenya.

Data-based decision making in primary schools in Ethiopia

PurposeThe Ethiopian educational system has witnessed considerable structural and curricular changes aimed to address access, equity and relevance. At the same time, there are serious concerns about educational quality as a consequence of these changes. Data use can be an important approach for changing the planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation of activities having the purpose of improving teaching and learning. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to investigate data use in primary education in Ethiopia.Design/methodology/approachUsing a mixed methods approach, surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from a cluster random sample of eight primary schools representing four different levels of effectiveness in implementing a mandated school improvement program in Ethiopia.FindingsThe availability of wider ranges of input, process, outcome and context data per se does not ensure actual use. A complex combination of data, user and organizational factors influences data use in schools, with organizational factors appearing to be most influential. Unrealistic accountability pressures and lack of targeted supervision support seemed to cause unintended data use, such as abuse of data.Practical implicationsSchools need more systematic professional development in data use, with explicit attention to school leadership. Moreover, it is important to make educational inspection processes more responsive to the demands of the school improvement process by adding aspects of the school improvement tradition, such as data-based decision making.Originality/valueThis study contributes to understanding of the nature, characteristics and processes of data use in a developing country context, in which competing accountability mandates often shape policy and practice.

Irish teachers, starting on a journey of data use for school self-evaluation

With much of the literature on school self-evaluation (SSE) stressing the importance of data use, this article explores how teachers in Irish post-primary schools are coming to terms with this new challenge. Since 2012, all schools in Ireland are required to engage in SSE for the purpose of improving student outcomes. For the first time, teachers and school leaders are being asked to systematically gather and analyse various types of data, devise improvement plans and implement improvements. Despite such demands, the compulsory education system in Ireland operates within a low-stakes accountability environment, with an absence of published school league tables and no consequences for poor school performance. It is also interesting to explore the introduction of a school improvement process that requires data as evidence for self-evaluation, but where very little data currently exists compared to other jurisdictions and where the discourse of data use in schools is relatively new.This article outlines the experience of 13 post-primary schools that were supported by the DCU Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection to complete an SSE process, during which, each school gathered and analysed a range of data. This study is part of a larger action research project which explores various aspects of the implementation of SSE in schools, including models of support and continuing professional development for schools. This article looks specifically at the use of data by the schools involved. The key research questions ask: what data was gathered by the schools and what was the attitude to and experience of data-use among teachers? In doing so, this article explores some of the current research questions in relation to data use in schools. Overall, the findings indicate that schools gathered a range of data, which was mainly quantitative due to a focus on quantitative target setting. Despite a generally positive attitude to the usefulness of data and the skills learned, participants did not appear convinced that they would be involved in data use on an ongoing basis.

Instrumental, conceptual and symbolic effects of data use: the impact of collaboration and expectations

The contribution of data use in schools has been proven via visible changes in policy and practice in schools (instrumental effects), changes in practitioners learning or cognition (conceptual effects) and changes in opinions or attitudes regarding teaching or policy-making (symbolic effects). Nevertheless, limited research is available on the extent to which data use in schools results in the aforementioned effects and how they can be explained by data use expectations and collaboration. This paper addresses both issues by describing and explaining data use effects via a large-scale study in Flanders. Data collected from 1472 teachers indicate that, although teachers are moderately positive about the extent to which data use results in different types of effects, data use effects cannot be taken for granted. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) shows that explicating data use expectations and data use collaboration are essential in order to facilitate data use effects in schools.

Using data wisely at the system level

District administrators who want to build capacity for data use in schools may be well-served by starting in the central office. This case study of the Boston Public Schools shows how central office administrators can leverage their own data inquiry cycles to improve the ways they support schools in using data. Using the Data Wise Improvement Process, this central office team revamped its model for supporting teachers as they identify, practice, and integrate new instructional strategies to better meet the student needs they uncovered in their data. Here’s what it looks like when inquiry facilitators “walk the walk” of continuous improvement.

The Balancing Act

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how data are used in classroom placement routines. The authors explore educators’ assumptions about the purposes of the classroom placement routine, detailing the ostensive (i.e. structure and template) and performative aspects of the routine itself, and the implications of data use for equity and leadership practices.Design/methodology/approachUsing a multi-site case study involving in-depth interviews of teacher and school leaders and observations of meetings, the authors examined the role that data played in classroom placement routines in three elementary schools in the USA.FindingsFindings show that educators across schools collected similar types of multi-dimensional data; however, analysis and decision-making processes varied based on their assumptions and goals. Assessing student needs holistically and balancing students across classes based on academic diversity, behavioral or socio-emotional needs, gender and teacher workload were consistent patterns. There was a distinct difference between collecting data and actually using it as a basis of decision making.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings highlight the importance of using in-depth observations to understand data use in schools. Educators’ assumptions and philosophies about classroom placement contributed to the pattern of discussion and decisions made throughout the routines. Delving deeper into how data are used in specific routines and organizational contexts can illuminate how data use is socially constructed and enacted for equity.Practical implicationsEducators who guide school routines have the power to maintain taken-for-granted assumptions about students, or to create counter-narratives.Originality/valueThis study provides insights into classroom and student placement processes by emphasizing the social and interactional dimensions of data use as they unfold in practice. It also extends empirical knowledge about the purposes, dimensions, and uses of data-driven decision making models.

Factors promoting and hindering data-based decision making in schools

ABSTRACTAlthough data-based decision making can lead to improved student achievement, data are often not used effectively in schools. This paper therefore focuses on conditions for effective data use. We studied the extent to which school organizational characteristics, data characteristics, user characteristics, and collaboration influenced data use for (1) accountability, (2) school development, and (3) instruction. The results of our hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analysis from this large-scale quantitative study (N = 1073) show that, on average, teachers appear to score relatively high on data use for accountability and school development. Regarding instruction, however, several data sources are used only on a yearly basis. Among the factors investigated, school organizational characteristics and collaboration have the greatest influence on teachers’ data use in schools.

Does Collaboration Facilitate Data Use in Schools?

School teachers are often encouraged to analyze data in groups or teams, and strong collaborative environments are seen as an important context for effective data use. This study investigates the relationship between teacher reports of collaboration and two dimensions of data use. in schools. The data analyzed for this study were collected from a survey of teachers in 37 schools in a large urban northeast school district in the United States and analyzed in a multi-level framework. Findings show a strong and significant relationship between collaboration and data use, even after controlling for individual teacher background characteristics and school culture characteristics. These results affirm the hypothesis that data use is commonly a collaborative activity in schools and that collaboration strengthens data use practices.

Towards a culture of inquiry for data use in schools: Breaking down professional learning barriers through intentional interruption

Real professional learning is about making changes to thinking and practice. Data-use has the potential to yield real professional learning when it interrupts the status-quo. However, people have a natural propensity to avoid new learning by transforming the world to fit what is already in their minds, rather than changing their mental structures to fit new information. Cognitive biases work to preserve the status-quo and impede new learning. Data-use can interrupt the cognitive biases, but only if informed by knowledge of how these biases work. This article describes a number of cognitive biases, how they emerge in a professional learning context, and how data-use within a culture of inquiry can intentionally interrupt the biases to lead to authentic professional learning.

Data use by Flemish school principals: impact of attitude, self-efficacy and external expectations

There is an increasing expectation that school principals use data to develop and justify school policy. There is also a strong belief among a wide variety of stakeholders that the quality of decisions within the school increases in proportion to the extent to which these decisions are based on good data. In most schools, however, it appears that data use is still quite limited. Research shows that the school principal plays a key role in data use in schools. In the present study, we examine the impact of external expectations, attitude and self-efficacy on the use of data by principals. The results of a survey among 451 school principals in Flanders show that affective aspects of attitude exhibit the strongest correlation with data use by principals. The impact of cognitive attitude and self-efficacy is statistically significant, but quite limited. The same applies to the perception of external school development-orientated and accountability-orientated expectations to use data.

Research on Data Use: A Framework and Analysis

One of the central lessons from research on data use in schools and school districts is that assessments, student tests, and other forms of data are only as good as how they are used. But what influences how they are used? This relatively straightforward question turns out to be fairly complex to answer. Data use implicates a number of processes, conditions, and contexts. It involves interpretive processes, as using data requires that the user interpret the data and construct implications for next steps. It implicates social and organizational conditions, since the data use unfolds in the context of a multileveled organizational system. And, because data can be a source of power, particularly in the current accountability environment, data use also involves power relations. In this article, we put forward a framework for understanding the phenomenon of data use in the context of data use interventions. We draw on existing research and theory to identify key dimensions of data use that we should attend to and offer a way to understand how these dimensions might interact. In so doing, we provide guidance for studying the pathways between data use interventions and various outcomes of value.

The influence of competences and support on school performance feedback use

Information‐rich environments are created to promote data use in schools for the purpose of self‐evaluation and quality assurance. However, providing feedback does not guarantee that schools will actually put it to use. One of the main stumbling blocks relates to the interpretation and diagnosis of the information. This study examines the relationship between data literacy competences, support given in interpreting the information, actual use of the feedback and potential school improvement effect. A randomised field experiment with 188 school principals from primary education was set up and a post‐test was used to investigate the effects of a support initiative. The results revealed that a minority of schools invested significantly in the interpretation and diagnosis of the school performance feedback (SPF), despite the fact that most of the respondents showed an interest in the SPF report. In addition, data competence support and the subsequent use of feedback were found to be limited.

School Leadership View of Human and Organizational Factors in Performance Management: A Comparative Analysis of High- and Low-Performing Schools

This study explored data use in schools, and human and organizational factors associated with performance management systems between high- and low-performing schools in Milwaukee Public Schools, a large urban school district in southeastern Wisconsin. Specifically, this research investigated school improvement planning and use of different types of academic data for decision support from the viewpoint of school leadership. Interviews with principals and observations of school improvement planning meetings were conducted to identify and describe (1) dimensions of data and data use and (2) the human and organization factors in school-based performance management systems between high- and low-performing schools. Implications for macroergonomic analysis in school-based performance management systems and differentiated designs for school support are discussed.

Leading Data Use in Schools: Organizational Conditions and Practices at the School and District Levels

This study examined data use and conditions influencing data use by typical principals and teachers, as well as the relationship between data use and student performance. The analysis drew upon a multi-method investigation of leadership at the school, district, and state levels. The findings emphasize the leadership of principals in establishing data use purposes and expectations, opportunities, training, access to expertise, and follow-up actions. Principal and teacher use of data is strongly shaped by district leaders in the context of state accountability systems. Statistical evidence linking patterns of data use to achievement test results was weak, and limited to elementary schools.