Leading With Data: Evidence From the National Center on Scaling up Effective Schools

Abstract

Through comparative case study, we seek to understand the ways in which actors in high schools use and think about performance data. In particular, we compare data use in higher and lower value-added schools. Data use is conceptualized here as having access to a host of available performance data on students, using them to guide instructional decisions, and building cultures in which data are seen as vehicles for improvements in practice. While our findings do not show consistent differences in the higher and lower value-added schools, they do allow us to set out an expanded conceptualization of school data use.

Notes

This research was conducted with funding from the Institute of Education Sciences (R305C10023). The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the sponsor.

1. The state's grading system incorporates various performance indicators, only a small portion of which measure value added. As such, it is possible that our lower value-added schools—as measured by value added to the achievement of three traditionally underperforming subpopulations—may receive high or average grades by the state.

2. Schools were given pseudonyms to protect confidentiality.