Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Data-Driven Decisions and School Leadership: Best Practices for School Improvement Theodore J. Kowalski Thomas J. Lasley II James W. Mahoney This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Chapter 6: Research to Drive Education Decision Making

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Program Enhancement Approaches  Examine existing instructional practices  Assess current educational materials  Use classroom practices that are supportable

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Types of Research Quantitative (Experimental) Qualitative (Ethnographic) Descriptive

Qualitative Research Field Studies Case Studies Personal Accounts Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008

Research Cautions Caution 1: Statistically significant findings may not be practically useful Caution 2: Correlation is not the same as causation Example: A small performance difference with a large group may yield a statistically significant finding that has no real implications for practice Example: As poverty increases students’ performance may decline…poverty does not cause the decline; poverty is correlated with the decline. (Bracey, 2006)

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Descriptive Research (Types) Simple Descriptive Comparative Descriptive Correlational Studies

Using Research to Inform Practice Means Accessing Good individual qualitative and quantitative studies about selected practices Identifying Patterns in the findings about those selected practices Reviewing Synthesis research reports about those selected practices Making Decisions about the best approach for the students in a school Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008