Contract Closed

Evaluation of Support for Using Student Data to Inform Teachers' Instruction

NCEE
Program: Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Award amount: $9,896,408
Awardee:
Mathematica, Abt Associates, Inc., Synergy Enterprises, IMPAQ International, Focused Schools
Year: 2012
Duration: 7 years (09/01/2012 - 09/01/2019)
Project type:
Impact
Contract number: ED-IES-12-C-0086

Background

Most districts help teachers use data to improve student learning, often supporting this effort with Title II, Part A funds. But many teachers feel unprepared to use student data to inform their instruction — referred to as data-driven instruction (DDI) — and there is little evidence of whether it improves student achievement. This study assessed an intensive approach to supporting teachers' use of student data to tailor their instruction. The support included funding for a data coach of the schools' choosing as well as intensive professional development for coaches and school leaders on helping teachers use student data to inform their instruction.

Project Activities

Research question

  • What are the effects of the study's DDI support on teachers' reported use of data and classroom practices?
  • What are the effects of providing this support on student achievement?

Structured Abstract

Design

The study is a randomized controlled trial with a sample of 102 elementary schools in 12 districts. The study randomly assigned half of the participating schools to receive the additional DDI support. Data collection included a teacher survey, a principal survey, and student administrative records in all participating schools — including those that received the extra support and those that did not. Comparing the classroom instruction and student achievement in schools that received the additional support versus those that did not provides evidence on the effectiveness of this specific approach to providing support for DDI.

Key findings

  • The study's DDI coaching and professional development did not increase teachers' data use or change their instructional practices. Prior research has suggested specific ways teachers can use data to improve student learning — for example, to monitor student progress or to plan individualized instruction. The support offered in this study was intended to boost collaboration among teachers to analyze student data and tailor their instruction in response. However, teachers in schools who received additional DDI support reported using data and data-driven instructional approaches in largely the same ways as teachers in schools not receiving extra support.
  • The study's support for DDI did not improve students' achievement. On average, students had similar achievement in math and English/language arts whether they were in schools that received extra DDI coaching and professional development or not. Students in each group scored near the 40th percentile on their state assessments in each subject.

People and institutions involved

IES program contact(s)

Erica Johnson

Education Research Analyst
K-12 Studies

Products and publications

A report, titled Evaluation of Support for Using Student Data to Inform Teachers' Instruction, was released in September 2019.

A restricted-use file containing de-identified data is available for the purposes of replicating study findings and secondary analysis.

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

 

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

 

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