Teacher Leaders at Work: Analyzing Standardized Achievement Data to Improve Instruction.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe how 24 elementary and middle school teacher leaders analyzed standardized achieve-ment test scores, utilizing four different approaches: comparing to the norm, analyzing trends, correlating data, and disaggregat-ing data. The analyses were conducted in order to effect positive change in student learning and as part of graduate coursework in a Teacher Leadership Program at the University of Northern Iowa. Findings from this study have implications for the storage and organization of data, for methods of teaching teachers to analyze school data, and for the discovery of new approaches to analyzing school data. Descriptions of how educators are using student achievement data to improve instruction could provide insights for teachers, principals, and professors who are interest-ed in practical approaches to analyzing data in school settings. Introduction and Literature Review