LibGuides: EDA655: Module 1

Module 1 Required Resources

Textbook

A. R. Shoho & B. G. Barnett, Eds. (2014). Using data in schools to inform leadership and decision making. Information Age Publishing.

The course textbook can be accessed via the NU Library at no additional cost. To find the text, go to the library (library.nu.edu) and search for the textbook by its title. You may access it online via Ebook Central or download a copy to your device using Adobe Digital Editions reader.

For Module 1, you will read:

Chapter 2: Charter principal autonomy: A missed connection between data-driven decision-making and instructional leadership
This chapter argues for the importance of data in instructional leadership. However, it also illustrates how a misguided view of data may fail to bring school improvements; for example, if principals lean on data solely for “increasing test scores, rather than on improving the culture, dialogue and capacity around data literacy within the school" (p. 6). This chapter will also introduce you to the textbook's format. Unlike textbooks that offer a broad overview of concepts presented in a linear fashion, this textbook takes a deep dive into data and educational leadership by examining real-world examples. This chapter relays lessons learned by principals at two struggling charter schools in Louisiana.
Chapter 8: Principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of teacher evaluation and their implications in Arab schools in Israel
The next chapter takes us to Israel and examines how cultural norms can impact how data is used in an Arab culture. Many of you have worked in culturally-diverse settings in your respective schools, but the cultural challenges discussed in this chapter may provide a new lens for approaching the familiar challenge of promoting equity and excellence in a multicultural setting.

Articles

Data use among principals and teachers: Divergent paths or common ground?
Albiladi, W. S., Lasater, K., & Bengtson, E. (2020). Data use among principals and teachers: Divergent paths or common ground? Implications for the leadership preparation programs. Journal of School Administration Research and Development, 5(2), 63–76.
This journal article highlights different perspectives that teachers and school administrators may have about “the use of data to inform their practice.” This study’s findings include observations about the challenges of data use, the level at which data is used, and the value of formal and informal data. As you read, jot down notes about the conversations you’ve overheard or participated in about data at your school. Do the authors’ observations about administrators’ and teachers’ perspective align with your school experiences? As a future administrator, how might you address these differences in perspective?

Module 1 Optional Resources

Principals’ perceptions of education equity: A mindset for practice
Nadelson, L., Albritton, S., Couture, V., Green, C., Loyless, S., & Shaw, E. (2019). Principals’ perceptions of education equity: A mindset for practice. Journal of Education and Learning, 9(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v9n1p1
In this study, the authors surveyed 128 principals from the southern United States to examine their mindsets on equity and success for all students. Based on the responses to this survey, the authors examine shared attributes related to equity, contextual influences on individual principals' specific attributes, and the time principals spend doing equity-related activities.
Leading data conversation moves: Toward data-informed leadership for equity and learning
Park, V. (2018). Leading data conversation moves: Toward data-informed leadership for equity and learning. Educational Administration Quarterly, 54(4), 617–647. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X18769050
This qualitative study examines how teachers in one public elementary school talk about data. The author suggests that educators can use data more meaningfully when they have rich conversations about it. The analysis presented in the article focuses on a number of potential "moves" or shifts in conversations about data, including: Triangulating; Reframing Deficit Thinking to Building on Student Learning Assets; Pedagogical Linking; and Student-Centered Positioning; and Extending.
Qualitative vs. Quantitative research | Differences, examples & methods
Streefkerk, R. (2019, April 12). Qualitative vs. Quantitative research | Differences, examples & methods. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-quantitative-research/
This blog post breaks down the difference between quantitative and qualitative data, and provides several examples of methods that generate either kind of data.