A study of nine headteachers in England, using a research protocol developed and carried out in Ontario, finds implications for the professional development of school leaders with respect to their decision-making to achieve greater equity. The types of professional development that leaders found to be most effective within their particular…

Assessment literacy is an "individual's understanding of the fundamental assessment concepts and procedures deemed likely to influence educational decisions" (Popham, 2018, p. 2). The ability to make evidence-based decisions has become a non-negotiable skill for all educators. Unfortunately, most teachers do not have the skills or…

This action research takes place at a small, New England public school system in Hopkinton, MA, and was designed to build the capacity of educators by utilizing a cycle of inquiry to improve Data-Driven Decision Making. The action steps of this study established a building-based Student Learning Team at Hopkinton Middle School which, in…

Public choice schools emphasizing inquiry and innovation offer a unique alternative to traditional schools. Research indicates the effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for positive outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher and administrator perceptions of the impact of PLCs on teacher efficacy, balancing…

This research summary provides the key findings and interpretive summary--chapters 3 and 4--from the full report, "Reaching for Improvement: Teacher Evaluation and its Role in Instructional Improvement." The full report contains additional details on the context, methodology, and findings of this study. This document has minor…

Despite the considerable resources dedicated to teacher evaluation reform, there is currently little evidence on the mechanisms by which evaluation translates into improvements in teachers' instructional practice. To address this need, this study was a two-pronged approach to examine the use of evaluation data for improvement within the Chicago…

This article reveals the multiple ways in which data are constituted as a vehicle for governing teachers' work and learning. Drawing on the concept of governance, including in relation to the sociology of numbers, and data from one school in Queensland, Australia, the research reveals how teachers' work and learning were constituted through…

In a Spring 2011 survey about professional development opportunity needs, Austin Independent School District teachers and campus administrators most often requested training in the state's new academic assessment and using technology.