J. B.
Data Literacy for Educators: Making It Count in Teacher Preparation and Practice
data literacy educators making count teacher preparation practice ellen b mandinach edith gummer detail conceptual framework refer data literacy teachers dlft describe schools teacher education among k12 us education stakeholders support teachers development data literacy skills skills habits mind teachers need responsibly use student datain first half book mandinach gummer explain dlft entails argue increasingly important teachers master policy mandates eg accountability policies like essa generated plethora data students chapter 1 authors draw research base teachers data use develop overall definition dlft writing data literacy teaching ability transform information actionable instructional knowledge practices p 14 go argue dlft draws multiple sources teacher knowledge including knowledge assessments standards students learn curriculum pedagogical content ie specialized knowledge instruction students content needed teach particular subject well disciplinespecific knowledge manner dlft construct goes beyond simple knowledge data attend teachers use data concert knowledge teaching order shape classroom practice sense dlft dynamic process action rather inert knowledge basein second chapter mandinach gummer give policy context dlft view came core component teaching argue origins dlft trace back highstakes accountability testing initiated federal government george w bush policy makers views appropriate data use evolved timeas messaging us department education rather solely means compliance data largely seen policy makers school leader teachers key tool inform continuous improvement efforts addition used research accountability measures policy evaluations view data use reflected teaching standards licensure requirements exams articulate need teachers use data inform instructional choices yet time data historically tied negative consequences teachers schools accountability policies eg publicly labeling schools failing closing schools firing teachers etc authors argue culture fear data among teachers educators remains concerning served conflate data literacy assessment literacy across fieldmandinach gummer persistently call attention pervasive conflation data literacy assessment literacy among teachers policy makers school leaders teacher educators define assessment literacy knowledge develop select analyze assessments foundational knowledge support dlft distinct construct two reasons dlft 1 encompasses data sources go beyond assessment data 2 centers use data simply construct interpret assessments authors repeatedly assert data used teachers must come variety sources including attitudinal motivational behavioral health indicators rather student performance data alone one goals book disabuse readers notion data literacy synonymous assessment literacy wide range stakeholders begin improve data literacy teaching workforcechapter 3 presents totality conceptual framework dlft detailing knowledge skills dispositions comprise authors ground construct fivestage data inquiry cycle 1 identifying problems 2 understanding data 3 drawing information data 4 determining decisionaction step 5 evaluating outcomes manner illustrate dlft iterative process making meaning data translating meaning instructional action within stage cycle explain knowledge skills teachers require example use data teacher must understand psychometric statistical properties data knowledge glean information data teacher must understand detect patterns test assumptions skills dlft construct draws diverse set types teacher knowledge example order transform information data instructional action teachers must possess curricular disciplinespecific knowledge well pedagogical content knowledge students learn particular subject matter indeed detailed diagrams highlighting various skills knowledge bases involved dlft cannot fit one page diagram reflects hot mess data use education p 55mandinach gummer go beyond skills knowledge teachers need master dlft instead describe beliefs habits mind may support inhibit teachers attempts using data inform instruction explain chapter 4 dlft demands teachers believe students learn value data source information value thinking critically practice acknowledge many teachers low levels confidence comes data use fall short describing schools might close confidence gap foster among teachers important noncognitive aspects dlft highlighted textthe second half book makes case teachers could supported mastering dlft focusing role schools education teacher preparation programs particular opposed schools districts must play developing approaches teaching dlft chapter 5 authors report four case studies teacher preparation programs treatments dlft cases illustrate various ways dlft taught programs standalone data courses others integrate data literacy across academic program still others embrace data literacy mechanism organizational improvement analyzing student data determine best adjust program proficient data use among teachers requires integration content knowledge pedagogical content knowledge p 78 mandinach gummer argue integrated approach opposed standalone courses best model cultivating dlft however paint optimistic picture noting among many challenges teacher preparation programs already suffer persistently bloated curricula schools higher education lack incentives change practice many professors higher education feel confident ability practice dlft compounding challenges authors report chapter 7 results survey schools education indicates many report data literacy really assessment literacy suggesting schools education also fall prey conflating two constructs despite challenges maintain development dlft must begin teachers enter classroom since inservice professional development teachers focused dlft effective thus farin concluding chapter mandinach gummer present vision teacher preparation programs might cultivate dlft appeal wide array policymaking organizations supporting work provide several illustrative vignettes teachers using data literacy practice attempts schools education cultivate data literacy yet book go far enough majority teacher vignettes focus one teacher using data isolation colleagues rather showing teams teachers may engage iterative cycle outlined dlft framework way stories fail illustrate teachers draw use various forms knowledge necessary engage data inquiry cycles stories illustrate complexity work involved stages cycle teachers tend go awry furthermore models teacher preparation oversimplified dive sufficiently deeply difficulty work teacher education mandinach gummer acknowledge field teacher education yet developmental trajectory teachers engage dlft would thoughtprovoking authors explored extensively impact gap literature field education leads readers wonder mean teach data literacy novices emergent knowledge students teaching novices able draw sufficient content knowledge pedagogical skills order effectively use data inform instruction questions frontier working teachers around data yet authors address depth appeal array stakeholders support dlft policy rather deeply examining intricate process teacher learning implementationthe real contribution data literacy educators research data literacy complex dlft framework mandinach gummer lay early book framework nothing short feat complex comprehensive successfully communicates cyclical nature dlft unpacks myriad skills demanded dlft articulates kinds teacher knowledge beliefs dlft draws framework likely broad appeal researchers teacher educators policy makers researchers might use framework guide inquiry dont yet knowwhat developmental trajectory data use cycle teacher teams struggle skills knowledge teacher must master productively engage dlft various stages teacher knowledge change grow result dlft teacher educators may also use framework design programs preservice inservice develop dlft since offers explicit guidance teachers need understand order engage work productively similarly policy makers align initiatives standards funding support programs serving strengthen dlft finally might mandinach gummers greatest contribution field whole dogged attempt distinguish data literacy assessment literacysuch clarification help stakeholders realize enormous potential data use improve teaching learning