Data Wise in Action
Stories of Schools Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning

Edited by Kathryn Parker Boudett and Jennifer L. Steele

What does it look like when a school uses data wisely? Data Wise in Action, a new companion and sequel to our bestselling Data Wise, tells the stories of eight very different schools following the Data Wise process of using assessment results to improve teaching and learning. Data Wise in Action highlights the leadership challenges schools face in each phase of the eight-step Data Wise cycle and illustrates how staff members use creativity and collaboration to overcome those challenges.

Data Wise in Action builds on the work of leading faculty and graduate students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, who joined with exemplary practitioners in 2005 to produce Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning. Since its publication, Data Wise has been read by thousands of school leaders, many of whom have shared the book with colleagues and staff. The success of the original book has generated a new demand among school leaders: to hear real stories from schools that are implementing the Data Wise process. Data Wise in Action answers that need. It offers both inspiration and practical guidance for school leaders.

Advance Praise:

“This collection of highly readable cases offers insights on implementing the Data Wise school improvement process. Data Wise in Action will lead the way in guiding teachers, principals, and other stakeholders to overcome organizational and cultural barriers to student success.”
--Kenneth K. Wong, Chair, Department of Education and Director of Urban Education Policy Program, Brown University

“Data Wise in Action testifies to the challenges and triumphs of using data to improve student achievement. I have begun the Data Wise process at my school and I am seeing a real change in how the faculty views data. It is no longer a dreaded, dirty word but a valuable tool to improve teaching and learning. The bottom line is: Data Wise definitely works and yields great results!”
--Denise Jamison, Principal, The Williamsburg Middle School Academy, Brooklyn, New York

“Drawing on the experiences of educators in a diverse array of schools, Data Wise in Action provides a wealth of practical guidance for creating a strong culture of data use. Readers will learn from the challenges and successes documented in each chapter. Data Wise in Action is an invaluable resource for schools or districts that want to use evidence to improve the quality of instruction—not just raise test scores.”
--Laura Hamilton, PhD, Senior Behavioral Scientist, RAND Corporation

“Data Wise in Action portrays the challenges educators face in building a collaborative, data-driven culture. Through each case study, the authors show how a systematic focus on data helps teachers make better instructional decisions and, through lots of teamwork, sharing of information, and collaboration, allows schools to become learning organizations focused on improving achievement for all students.”
--Jonathan P. Raymond, Chief Accountability Officer, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte, North Carolina

Highlights:

• Organizing for Collaborative Work: Pond Cove Elementary School recovers from a disappointing
• Building Assessment Literacy: Newton North High School trains a broad-based data team
• Creating Data Overviews: A new principal at McKay K-8 School uses data as a call for action
• Digging Deeper: West Hillsborough Elementary School seeks to translate a culture of collaboration into improved achievement
• Examining Instruction: A teacher at Murphy K-8 School reflects on the challenges of peer observation
• Developing an Action Plan: Two Rivers Public Charter School deliberately develops a shared understanding of an effective plan
• Planning to Assess Progress: Mason Elementary Schools’ third-to-fifth grade team develops a rubric for for students’ writing

About the Editors:

Kathryn Parker Boudett, co-editor of Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning, is the director of the Data Wise Project and lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Jennifer Steele is an advanced doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she studies incentives for attracting skilled teachers to high-need schools. She serves as an editor of the Harvard Educational Review.