From compliance to competence: building capacity for data-driven decision making
Date
2015
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
In this era of high stakes accountability, educators have been challenged to become highly competent "data consumers." They are asked to set goals for instruction and other initiatives based on analyses of student data from multiple sources. In order for educators to meet this challenge, districts must provide teachers and administrators with training and other resources to both manage and use data effectively. My Education Leadership Portfolio (ELP) documents the journey my district took in building the culture and competence of teachers and administrators in using data, focusing specifically on English Language Arts at the elementary grades. Artifacts provide a look into access of data, teachers' views of assessment results, and training and support provided to sustain a culture of Data Driven Decision Making (DDDM). Over a period of four years, I focused on examining current assessments administered in the district as well as practices around their use. Resources were created to share data, training was provided to demonstrate how to best use data, briefs were written to make data more understandable, teacher leader groups were formed to support teachers and administrators in using data, and reports were generated to share data and its impact on the district. The outcomes of these improvement strategies, as well as recommendations for future action, are shared to inform our district's continued efforts in sustaining a culture of DDDM.