Content area
Abstract
The concept of using data to make informed decisions that impact student achievement is present in professional literature related to school improvement and in policy as well. Despite the frequency of its use, the practice of data-driven decision-making by educators is one that has not been extensively studied. This study sought to describe the extent to which elementary principals were engaging in data-driven decision-making.
In order to more clearly define the concept, the National Staff Development Council’s standards for professional development and related publications were used to articulate the practices of a data-driven building principal. The participants received a web-based survey based on the standards. The elementary principals in the state of Nebraska were selected due to the presence of a state accountability system that requires high levels of engagement and involvement on the part of local educational leaders. Nebraska’s School-based, Teacher-led, Assessment and Reporting System (STARS) was designed to enhance assessment literacy of school leaders and it also encourages local leaders to utilize the data that is generated from the system to implement effective improvement practices.
The results indicate that elementary principals are involving teachers in the process of analyzing data and are utilizing a variety of assessment data to identify school improvement goals. While the use of data was high, principals scored lower in the involvement of parents and community members and the frequency with which that data was shared with those groups.
