A Study of Preservice Teacher Preparation for Data Driven Decision Making in Teacher Education Programs in Virginia
Date
2013-08
Authors
Ledesma, Patrick
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Abstract
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 led to an increasing focus on standardized assessment data that culminated in the accountability policies in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and current reauthorization of ESEA. Advances in data system access and functionality, development of school cultures around data use, and an increasing role of standardized test data in teacher evaluation heighten the expectations for teachers to use standardized tests performance results in a variety of instructional decisions. Consequently, teachers today work in a data driven environment. Despite this focus on standardized test data, current DDDM literature emphasizes the lack of research examining DDDM's integration in teacher education programs. This study surveyed leaders in teacher education programs in Virginia to explore how DDDM related skills and competencies are addressed in coursework and fieldwork experiences, as well as the perceptions teacher education leaders have about DDDM. This research study adds to the emerging literature examining DDDM and the role of teacher education in preparing preservice teachers to use data. This dissertation concludes with a discussion on the strengths and inconsistencies in teacher preparation and provides recommendations for teacher education programs, state policies, and research to improve teacher preparedness for a DDDM culture.
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Keywords
Education, Teacher education, Accountability, Data driven decision making, DDDM