Cases of Teachers' Data Use

"This is exactly the right book at exactly the right time! Working through an inspired research initiative from the Spencer Foundation, Nicole Barnes and Helenrose Fives have brought together the findings from eleven research teams who rigorously and creatively addressed the potential of using data effectively in schooling. Filled with great examples, counterexamples, insights, and pitfalls, this work will become a bible for educators dedicated to improving practice through data use."

—Jeffrey Smith, Chair in Education and Associate Dean for University Research Performance at the University of Otago, New Zealand

"Cases of Teachers’ Data Use is an invaluable resource that sits at multiple crossroads. It is scholarly in form yet practical in substance. It acknowledges the pressures and opportunities of the accountability era while leveraging the potential of promising teacher practices. It holds firm to the science of psychometrics while illustrating the application of assessment literacy by real teachers in real classrooms. The ultimate purpose of assessment is student learning: Barnes, Fives, and their contributors not only make the case for why, but they show us how."

—Chris Gareis, Professor of Education at the College of William and Mary, USA, and co-author of Teacher-Made Assessments: How to Connect Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Learning

"One of the best ways to support teachers in using classroom-level data is by sharing examples of promising practices. The case studies in this book do just that. Until now, information about data use was limited to the collection of data. The examples compiled here go beyond data collection to include the essential processes involved in analyzing, interpreting, and applying assessment results in order to make sense of student thinking and inform instructional decisions."

—Heidi Andrade, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and Methodology at the University at Albany, SUNY, USA