Advancing equity in accountability and organizational cultures of data use

Abstract

Purpose Data use cultures in schools determine data use practices. Such cultures can be muted by powerful macro accountability and organizational learning cultures. Further, strong equity-oriented data use cultures are challenging to establish. The purpose of this paper is to engage these cultural tensions. Design/methodology/approach The data discourse and decisions of four grade-level teams in two elementary schools in one district were studied through observation of 62 grade-level meetings over the course of a year. The observations focused on “data talk,” defined as the structure and content of team conversations about interim student performance data. Findings Distinct macro cultures of accountability and organizational learning existed in the two schools. The teams’ own data use cultures partly explained the absence of a focus on equity, and none of the teams used student performance data to make instructional decisions in support of the district’s equity aims. Leadership missed opportunities to cultivate an equity-focused data use culture. Practical implications School leaders who advocate that equity importantly guides data use routines, and can anticipate how cultures of accountability or organizational learning “show up” in data use conversations, will be better prepared to redirect teachers’ interpretations of data and clarify expectations of equity reform initiatives. Originality/value This study is novel in its concept of “data talk,” which provided a holistic but nuanced account of data use practices in grade-level meetings.

Læreres samtale om pedagogisk bruk av flerspråklige elevers prøveresultater

“…Selv om det har blitt brukt store ressurser på å utvikle solide psykometriske prøver til bruk i skolen, vet vi at laererne er usikre på hvordan de skal anvende resultatene i undervisningen (Datnow & Hubbart, 2016;Gannon-Slater et al, 2017;Gunnulfsen & Roe, 2018;Monsen, 2014;Seland et al, 2013). Mausethagen et al (2018) viser til at laereres oppfølging av prøveresultater er rettet inn mot å forbedre prøveresultatene, og tidligere forskning tyder på at laerere i liten grad bruker elevresultater til å endre egen undervisning (Gannon-Slater et al, 2017;Garner et al, 2017;Schildkamp & Kuiper, 2010). Videre påpeker både Gannon-Slater et al (2017, s. 371-372) og Garner et al (2017, s. 420) at laerere i liten grad utnytter det potensialet som ligger i formativ vurdering av flerspråklige elever, og at det sosiale utjevningsperspektivet i liten grad er tilstede i laerernes refleksjoner over prøveresultater.…”

“…Blant de laeringsstøttende prøvene i lesing har en vokabularprøve et spesielt fokus på oppfølging av flerspråklige elever 2 , dette fordi svakt vokabular hyppig fremheves som den største utfordringen for denne elevgruppens skoleprestasjoner (Anstrom et al, 2010;Golden & Kulbrandstad, 2007;Melby-Lervåg & Lervåg, 2011;Townsend, Filippini, Collins & Biancarosa, 2012). Vi vet en del om laereres bruk av prøveresultater (Gannon-Slater et al, 2017;Garner, Thorne & Horn, 2017;Gunnulfsen & Roe, 2018;Mausethagen, Prøitz & Skedsmo, 2018;Monsen, 2014;Seland, Vibe & Hovdhaugen, 2013). Derimot vet vi ikke hvordan laerere forstår og bruker et prøvekonsept som både retter seg mot en spesifikk elevgruppe, og som prøver å skape en bro mellom skåre og undervisning.…”

“…Det andre hovedfunnet står i kontrast til forskning som viser at laerere i liten grad knytter resultatene til egen undervisning (Gannon-Slater et al, 2017;Garner et al, 2017;Schildkamp & Kuiper, 2010). I denne studien blir laererne bevisste på skolens ansvar for utvikling av elevenes akademiske vokabular, og det fører til et kritisk blikk på egen undervisning.…”

Superintendent Beliefs About the Assessment and Use of School Climate Data for Continuous Improvement

“…According to the scholarship of Michael Fullan, the importance of directing attention to mid-level leaders is that "when it is focused and well led, [the middle] can come up with insightful ideas, generate widespread buy-in, and create stronger accountability with transparent data and better results (Kirtman & Fullan, 2016)." If the LCFF is going to guide significant changes to educational experiences and outcomes, local leaders need to believe in school climate assessment as an important indicator for continuous improvement (Gannon-Slater et al, 2017); have the capacity to use data (Bosworth, 2018); and trust the data that they obtain (Bertino, 2014). Therefore, better understanding this group of leaders throughout the state is important.…”

“…These belief orientations inform the value that a leader may place on school climate assessment. Researchers have noted the importance of attitudes informing belief structures, data use, and adherence to policy (or procedural) expectations (Buske & Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, 2018;Gannon-Slater et al, 2017). One study explored characteristics of leaders who orient towards accountability versus continuous improvement.…”