Despite the widespread adoption of data-based decision making (DBDM) policies in schools around the world, there is limited understanding of how teachers use DBDM in K-12 classrooms and the impact of DBDM training on teacher practices and student outcomes. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on the uses of…

Across OECD countries, the increasing demand for evidence-based policy making has further led governments to design policies jointly with clear measurable objectives, and to define relevant indicators to monitor their achievement. This paper discusses the importance of such indicators in supporting the implementation of education policies.…

The generation, use, and analysis of educational data comes with many promises and opportunities, especially where digital materials allow usage of learning analytics (LA) as a tool in data-based decision-making (DBDM). However, there are questions about the interplay between teachers, students, context, and technology. Therefore, this paper…

The papers in the special series describe the role of data-based decision-making (DBDM) in improving the outcomes of students with learning disabilities based on research across Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. The articles address multiple aspects of a model of DBDM that includes the role of teacher knowledge, skills, beliefs, and…

This paper studies, using quantitative and qualitative data, the effectivity of a professional development approach in which a national summative assessment is used formatively to stimulate 19 teacher teams in Dutch secondary education to improve their data use for instruction and learning. The approach is based on conceptual similarities between…

School leaders are assumed to be important for the implementation of data-based decision making (DBDM), but little is known about changes in leadership during this implementation. Educational leadership was measured before, during, and after a two-year, school-wide DBDM intervention in 96 primary schools. Advanced analysis techniques were applied:…

Liberal Arts programs are often characterized by their open curriculum. Yet, the abundance of courses available and the highly personalized curriculum are often overwhelming for students who must select courses relevant to their academic interests and suitable to their academic background. This paper presents the course recommender system that we…

There is an increasing global emphasis on using data for decision making, with a growing body of research on interventions aimed at implementing and sustaining data-based decision making (DBDM) in schools. Yet, little is known about the school features that facilitate or hinder the implementation of DBDM. Based on a literature review, the authors…

Despite the emphasis on data-based decision making (DBDM) in educational policy in several countries, evidence regarding the intended effect of improved student achievement is still scarce. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a DBDM intervention on teacher efficacy. This study incorporates an experimental longitudinal research…

Data-based decision-making has the potential to increase student achievement results. Data-based decision-making can be defined as teachers' systematic analysis of data sources in order to study and adapt their educational practices for the purpose of maximizing learning results. Teachers must apply the findings from their data use to their…

The use of data for adaptive, tailor-made education can be beneficial for students with learning difficulties. While evaluating the effects of a data-based decision-making (DBDM) intervention on student outcomes, considerable variation between intervention effects, ranging from high-intervention effects to small or even negative intervention…

Despite growing international interest in the use of data to improve education, few studies examining the effects on student achievement are yet available. In the present study, the effects of a two-year data-based decision-making intervention on student achievement growth were investigated. Fifty-three primary schools participated in the project,…

In this study, the relationship between differentiated instruction, as an element of data-based decision making, and student achievement was examined. Classroom observations (n = 144) were used to measure teachers' differentiated instruction practices and to predict the mathematical achievement of 2nd- and 5th-grade students (n = 953). The…

Although data-based decision making can lead to improved student achievement, data are often not used effectively in schools. This paper therefore focuses on conditions for effective data use. We studied the extent to which school organizational characteristics, data characteristics, user characteristics, and collaboration influenced data use for…

Context: Collaboration within school teams is considered to be important to build the capacity school teams need to work in a data-based way. In a school characterized by a strong collaborative culture, teachers may have more access to the knowledge and skills for analyzing data, teachers have more opportunity to discuss the performance goals to…