Measuring Principals’ Data-Informed Decision-Making on High-Impact Strategies

Abstract

We collected data from 691 teachers from 139 schools in Michigan to validate the instrument titled Data-informed Decision-making on High-impact Strategies, designed based on Marzano's (2003) 11 high-impact strategies. Results of confirmatory factor analysis strongly supported the 11-factor model as the most valid approach to measure teachers' perceptions of their principals' data-informed decision-making on high-impact strategies for the improvement of student achievement. According to Marzano's (2003) framework, the 11 factors fall into three categories of higher-order principal leadership concerning schools, teachers, and students. The higher-order-factor model came quite close to the 11-factor model in terms of model-data-fit so that the instrument could be used with satisfactory construct validity in the research of higher-order principal leadership. The scale property analysis showed favorable results for the 11-factor model and the higher-order-factor model. Implications of the results are discussed.

A Meta-Analysis of Data-Driven School Leaders and School Effectiveness in the 21st Century

“…Likewise, it has been con-Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies tended that the adoption of data-driven decision-making is linked to an increase in scholastic performance among pupils of mathematics. According to Shen et al (2016), data-informed decision-making has been identified as a primary practice of successful school leaders in enhancing student retention and engagement. Mason (2009) asserts that the implementation of data-driven decision-making is imperative in augmenting school administration and decision-making.…”

“…Study data were coded to extract information on study methodology, sample size, data sources, outcome measures, and effect sizes.It appears from the data descriptions that the articles cover a range of different types of schools and principals. The focus of the research byShen et al (2016) is on assessing the ways in which K-12 school principals use data to make decisions about strategies with the greatest possible impact on student achievement. Data-driven decision making in the classroom is the focus ofLai & Schildkamp's (2012) research.…”