Despite its importance, replication has remained in the background of social development research. The aim of this special section was to elucidate and elevate the role of replication in peer relations research, examining its challenges and its utility for moving the field forward. To accomplish this aim, five sets of researchers undertook…

Test-based accountability policy in the US has resulted in increased availability and use of assessment systems to support instructional decision making. Though limited, literature to date suggests an important role for these systems as tools, mediating teacher knowledge and action. We examine system log data from NWEA's MAP assessment to better…

This paper considers elementary teachers' perceptions of data-driven decision making (DDDM) through the lens of Dewey's science of education. Dewey argues that educational science can be used to improve teaching and learning, but it must be flexible, attendant to multiple dimensions of growth, and grounded in real classroom experiences with…

Data reflects a series of decisions made by people--and those decisions affect the story that data tells, what it captures, and how it can and should be used to inform decision-making. Because of this, mistrust in data is often the result of incomplete information and a lack of context. This resource breaks down what it means to build trust in…

In the summer and fall months of a "typical" year, many education leaders would receive reports of student performance on annual summative state assessments administered each spring. Using these data, administrators begin a process of sense-making -- identifying areas that need support and integrating new information offered by the data…

Do you know how to ensure teachers have the knowledge and skill to use assessment data to improve student learning? Do you know the influence that student involvement in assessments has on motivation and learning? This book guides you and your leadership team through 10 assessment literacy goals with practical content, how-to's, success…

As school and district communities consider options for effectively supporting students, educators, and families during and after a crisis, it can be difficult to identify critical impactful actions. The PBIS framework can serve as a road map to meeting this challenge. This practice brief provides strategies to guide implementation efforts through…

This book offers concrete examples of how data can be used by faculty, staff, and program leaders to improve their collective work as teacher educators. Strong external accountability mandates often lead to tensions that undermine local morale and motivation. This volume focuses on the practical work of navigating these tensions so that valuable…

This mixed-methods study examined K-5 teachers' perceptions of using data to inform their instruction, uncovered factors that affect their capacity for understanding data, and described how both of these factors may relate to school improvement. The study outlined factors that supported or impeded teachers' use of data when making instructional…

Digital phenotyping is defined as the "moment-by-moment quantification of the individual level human phenotype in situ using data from personal digital devices". The passive data collected by smartphone devices, including GPS, accelerometer and communication logs, can provide insights on users' behaviors that could be related to various…

In online surveys, the use of manipulation checks aimed at measuring respondents' attentiveness has become common. More than being measures of attentiveness pertaining to a specific survey, instructional manipulation checks (IMC) could work as generic measures of the quality of the answers a person gives when completing a questionnaire. By using…

Stand-alone reading intervention courses, or reading classes, are designed to facilitate the literacy development of adolescents who have been deemed "struggling" readers. However, the existence of such courses does not mean that these goals are realized. Decades of qualitative research on youth perspectives and experiences have…

Root Cause Analysis (RCA) has been recommended as a specific problem-solving approach for addressing disproportionate discipline outcomes. RCA differs from other problem-solving models through its in-depth analysis that draws from the perspectives of individuals who are impacted by the issue being addressed. When applied to disproportionate…

Data permeates our digital world. As data and data visualizations become more ubiquitous in our everyday lives, individuals are required to use it as a resource for meaning making, and we as literacy researchers need to understand the ways that our literacy practices are changing because of data collection, storage, analysis, and transmission.…

Collaborative data inquiry can help schools serve their students better and improve student outcomes--but only if equity is prioritized. Researchers from Harvard's Data Wise Project discuss the importance of using an equity lens when engaging in collaborative data inquiry and what this can mean in terms of disrupting system inequities.