ABSTRACT
Classroom, school, and district contexts shape data use in important ways. The bulk of the extant literature has focused on the contexts for support of data use, but less is known about the role the district plays in school- and classroom-level data use, and about context not known for excellence in data use practices. The purpose of this chapter is to report on a study that focused specifically on the ways in which two school districts facilitated, at all levels or not, systematic use of data for making instructional decisions. This case examines how district-level policy and implementation of a literacy assessment could lead to productive data use by classroom teachers. Four promising practices for supporting data use are identified, and suggestions for maximizing the promise of each are offered. Promising practices included: 1) administrators serving as facilitators of best data use practice, 2) the use of consistent messages from administrators regarding spaces and structures, 3) supportive literacy coaches who connect literacy data directly with instructional practice, and 4) district development and use of electronic systems for managing data.
