Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Education (Ph.D)

Department

Administrative and Instructional Leadership

First Advisor

Rosalba Corrado DelVecchio

Second Advisor

Mary Ellen Freeley

Third Advisor

Anthony Annunziato

Abstract

Educators have an abundance of student data available to guide their instructional decisions. Federal and State legislation has repeatedly incorporated accountability measures to ensure learning equity. Current research revealed that effective data use in the classroom to guide instructional decisions requires a complex network of resources, supports, and practices. This quantitative research study, informed by Sociocultural Theory, investigated teachers, administrators, and instructional support staff perceptions regarding teachers’ use of data to support instruction, their attitudes toward data, and the supports that help teachers use data. The study was conducted in one suburban Roman Catholic Diocese in the Northeastern United States consisting of 39 elementary schools with a student enrollment of 12,801. In total, 969 teachers, 51 administrators, and 39 instructional support staff were invited to participate. The study analyzed results from the Teacher Data Use Survey (TDUS). The survey yielded response rates from teachers (16.3%), administrators (39%), and instructional support staff (10%). Cronbach alpha statistics for each scale were calculated at 0.94 or higher. Descriptive survey analysis revealed that all three subgroups identified that Iowa Assessment data was the most available yet the least frequently used. Classroom performance assessment data was used the most frequently by teachers for all instructional practices. Positive correlations were identified between scale means including Data Competence with Data’s Effectiveness for Pedagogy (r (158) = .618, p < .05), Principal Leadership (r (158) = .495, p < .05), Principal Leadership with Data’s Effectiveness for Pedagogy (r (158) = .492, p < .05), Computer Data Systems (r (158) = .548, p < .05), Data Competence, and Collaborative Team Trust (r (158) = .350, p < .05), Computer Data Systems with Data Competence (r (158) = .333, p < .05.) , and Data’s Effectiveness for Pedagogy (r (158) = .248, p < .05). Implications for future research include examining the relationships between teacher self-efficacy in data competence, collaborative team trust and actions, principal leadership, data’s effectiveness for pedagogy and computer data systems. Implications for future practice includes considerations for effective professional development and the establishment of systematic, structured time to support a strong data culture.

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