Heritage, M., & Yeagley. R. (2005). Data use and school improvement: Challenges and prospects. In J.L. Herman & E. Haertel (Eds.), Uses and misuses of data for educational accountability and improvement (National Society for the Study of Education Yearbook, Vol. 104, Issue 2, pp. 320-339 ). Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education. Distributed by Blackwell Publishing.
This chapter examines the challenges of effective data use and how to address issues that may arise when implementing school-based data-systems. The authors discuss why achievement data must be aligned, valid, reliable, and sensitive to student differences and address specific advantages and disadvantages of the four main types of data (i.e., large-scale achievement tests, benchmark assessments, formative assessment, and school grades). The authors also move beyond assessment data and explore other sources of information that may impact student performance such as demographic data, perception data, and school processes. The chapter concludes with consideration of the ways data use can be integrated into school practice.
Benchmark Assessment, Human Resources, Skills and Knowledge
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