School districts have recognized the undeniable power of using data to enhance performance. As a result, teachers are now required to use data to prepare for critical state assessments and to improve district levels. These assessments are crucial in determining the school's rating by the state and can even result in a state takeover if scores are…

We undertook a research project consisting of four interrelated studies, in order to shed light on ways educational professionals make sense and make use of educational data in general and school performance feedback in particular. Theoretical insights illuminate why a sensemaking perspective is an appropriate and valuable lens to study data use.…

Undergirded by "economic theory of the principal-agent problem", the study investigated secondary school teachers' perception of the influence of large-scale testing accountability on teaching and learning. Cross-sectional survey design was used. Simple random sampling was also employed to select 200 teachers for this study. The…

State agencies rely on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) as an essential part of their postsecondary education data systems. The system provides common definitions and standardized indicators that enable consistent measurement across institutions and states, enabling institutional and state comparisons, accountability…

The edTPA has been fully operational since 2013, when it entered the field of education as a performance portfolio to assess teacher candidates' readiness for the classroom. Since that time 35 different states have been using it in some form, including Tennessee, which adapted it as a licensure requirement in 2019. Over the last several years, the…

A shifting policy landscape in Australian teacher education has led to the introduction of teaching performance assessment tasks in initial teacher education degrees, foregrounding data literacy practices. The aim of this research was to explore pre-service teachers' uses of data to inform and evaluate their teaching practice as demonstrated in…

It's been nearly 25 years since the first MCAS tests were taken. Since then, the test and the state's accountability system have brought resources to underfunded schools, highlighted inequities in our education system, and pushed Massachusetts to first in the nation in academics. But, with progress stalling, a new understanding of the importance…

The use of online literacy applications is proliferating in elementary classrooms. Using data generated by these applications is assumed to be helpful for teachers to identify struggling readers. Unfortunately, many teachers are unsure how to use and interpret the plethora of data from these apps. In this longitudinal study, we followed a cohort…

Current research into data use suggests that the intersection of assessment, reform, and public accountability and their impact on teacher practice are under-conceptualized and not well researched, especially when the data are derived from assessments that are locally produced by teachers. This qualitative case study investigates the development…

"Using Data for Continuous Improvement in Educator Preparation" provides case studies that illuminate and contextualize the ways in which educator preparation programs determine the data they need to improve, collect data, analyze data, share data with stakeholders, and close the loop by making focused improvements based on the data.…

This document includes the "FY 2022 Annual Performance Report" and "FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan." The "FY 2022 Annual Performance Report" provides narrative and data on the US Department of Education's progress toward the strategic goals and objectives outlined in its "Fiscal Years 2022-2026 Strategic…

The "FY 2022 Annual Performance Plan" (i.e., fiscal year (FY) 2022 APP) is required by the "Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010," and guidance for its development is provided by the Office of Management and Budget's Circular No. A-11, Part 6. The "U.S. Department of Education's Strategic Plan…

As a precursor to this annual report, in February 2018, the Department issued its "U.S. Department of Education Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years [FY] 2018-22" ("Strategic Plan") (see ED586968). The "Strategic Plan" establishes four broad, overarching goals--one goal each in the areas of K-12 education, postsecondary…

School performance frameworks (SPFs) are action-oriented information tools that provide information on school performance and quality across a variety of measures. SPFs have evolved as a solution for local communities to make sense of an array of student, school, and system performance data, and to support transparent and equitable decisions. SPFs…

Changing demographics in schools around the world have raised questions about the nature and role of gifted education programs. An intense interest in the underrepresentation of students from low-income families and minority groups in gifted education programs has caused the field to re-examine both identification and services. In this article,…