Background/Context There is a body of evolving research on how educators use data for improvement, with many examples in the literature about how educators learn to use a routine of data-driven cycles of inquiry to make smart improvements to their practice. This article is not an alternative structure for engaging in cycles of inquiry, but rather a series of critical considerations for school leaders about how, why, and with what supports they can best organize their schools to use data for improvement. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study The study addresses the research question, “What are the conditions necessary for school leaders to use data to improve student outcomes?” To demonstrate our concept of practice-driven data, we use Chicago Public Schools as a case study of school district that worked and continues to work with its research and practice partners to implement a process using data-based indicators with the goal of improving practice and ultimately student outcomes. Research Design In this article, as authors we are participant observers of the work of bringing data to schools across various projects and many years. We write this article as leaders that are based in the University of Chicago and work with Chicago Public Schools, but are independent of the district. We rely on notes from our daily practices, observations from our experiences, and documents from the practices supporting Chicago Public School leaders. Conclusions/Recommendations We build the article around five lessons that form an approach to the use of practice-driven data: First, it is important to build capacity to facilitate hard conversations that use data to spur collective action, which requires an emphasis on trust, collaboration, and culture. Second, the preponderance of available data and the scarce resource of time require that educators and leaders prioritize research-based indicators that matter most for student success. Third, educators at all levels of the school system can use relevant research evidence to make meaning of the data to guide their practice, and to develop shared ownership over the implications of the research on improving student outcomes. Fourth, using data effectively to guide practice requires that educators and leaders use the right data at the right time of the school year. Finally, there is no more important use of data in public schools than as a tool to identify and stop inequities that continue to leave the most vulnerable students further and further behind.
The impact of school choice on student outcomes: an analysis of the Chicago Public Schools
