VDM Coyne Molly: Cultures of Data Use

We hear about schools that have successfully used data to make gains in student achievement. What we often don t hear about are the nuances of the work. How did school leaders initiate the work? How did they overcome the barriers? Beyond increases in student test scores, what does data use look like when it is working? What happens in effective data meetings? What do teachers and leaders in these schools talk about? How are connections made to instruction? Using a case study approach to examine two urban elementary schools with increases in student achievement that outpaced district averages, this work describes the practices of teachers and leaders in these schools. Retrospective interviewing allowed for an exploration of factors that had supported the development of successful practices. Cross-case comparisons reveal that data use facilitated communication, collaboration and instructional changes. Overall, the case studies provide descriptions of how two schools evolved from data reporting for accountability purposes to develop cultures of data use that supported improved instruction and student achievement.