California Professional Standards for Education Leaders · Instructional leadership and professional learning
Guide staff and the community in regular disaggregation and analysis of local and state student assessment results and program data.
Translate the indicator into observable adult practice, protected collaboration time, and evidence of changes in student learning.
Developing the practice
Establishing a Collaborative Approach: Educational leaders should establish a collaborative approach to disaggregating and analyzing local and state student assessment results and program data. This involves engaging staff and the broader community in the process, fostering a shared understanding of the importance of data analysis, and promoting transparency in data-related decision-making.
- Resource: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) offers tools and resources for disaggregating and analyzing student assessment results and program data.
Providing Professional Development: Educational leaders should provide professional development opportunities to support staff in developing the knowledge and skills necessary for effective data disaggregation and analysis.
- Resource: Learning Forward provides resources and tools for designing and implementing effective professional development on data analysis in education.
Establishing Data Teams or Committees: Educational leaders can establish data teams or committees comprised of staff members representing various roles and departments within the school or district.
- Resource: Data Wise by Harvard University provides resources and tools for establishing data teams and using data effectively in education.
Promoting Data Literacy: Educational leaders should promote data literacy among staff and the community, ensuring that all stakeholders understand how to interpret and use assessment results and program data effectively.
- Resource: Edutopia offers articles and resources on promoting data literacy and understanding in education.
Fostering a Culture of Inquiry and Reflection: Educational leaders should foster a culture of inquiry and reflection around data analysis, encouraging staff and the community to engage in ongoing dialogue about student performance and program effectiveness.
- Resource: EdSurge offers articles and resources on fostering a culture of inquiry and reflection in education.
Using Data to Drive Decision-Making: Educational leaders should ensure that data analysis informs decision-making at all levels of the organization.
- Resource: RAND Corporation offers research and resources on using data to drive decision-making in education.
Engaging the Community: Educational leaders should engage the broader community in data analysis efforts, ensuring that stakeholders outside of the school or district are informed about student performance and program outcomes.
- Resource: Education Commission of the States (ECS) provides resources and policy briefs on community engagement in education.
By guiding staff and the community in regular disaggregation and analysis of local and state student assessment results and program data, educational leaders can promote a data-informed culture that drives continuous improvement and leads to better outcomes for all students.
Software connections for this indicator
NWEA Growth
Contributes a longitudinal growth measure to collaborative analysis, with leaders responsible for explaining scale, comparison groups, uncertainty, and appropriate uses.
View the SDLA product page →Schoolzilla
Supports consistent disaggregation and shared analysis when definitions, permissions, suppression rules, and the limits of each measure are established first.
View the SDLA product page →Product references illustrate a leadership capability and do not constitute endorsement. Confirm current features, privacy, accessibility, integrations, contracts, and district fit.
Two intellectual virtues for 2C2
Intellectual humility
Names the limits of the leader’s first interpretation and creates room for evidence and perspectives that may revise it.
Intellectual carefulness
Checks definitions, assumptions, accuracy, consequences, and confidentiality before acting.
A focused learning shelf
Learning by Doing
Richard DuFour and colleagues
Read selectively for concepts, protocols, and cautions that sharpen the work of 2C2.
ISTE
Compare approaches with a professional community and locate current guidance related to 2C2.
Questions for reflection and mentoring
- What would a strong example of this practice make easier for students and staff?
- Which voice could complicate—and improve—the current interpretation?
- How are context, history, and power affecting what the evidence seems to say?
- What learning should be documented so the next cycle begins from a stronger position?