| The intent of this comparative case study was to explore how the interpretation and the use of data influenced English and Math teachers' instructional decision-making, specifically as it relates to planning, instruction, grouping, and assessment. The researchers studied how high school teachers, in two different content areas, and site administrators are using Data-Driven Instruction Systems (DDIS) in two exemplar high schools in the same district. The researchers addressed the following five research questions: (a) How do teachers/administrators use the output from the district's DDIS to alter or inform strategies for planning, instruction, grouping, and assessment? (b) What additional facts does the district's DDIS provide other than information to alter or inform your strategies for planning, instruction, grouping, and assessment as an administrator or as a teacher? (c) What additional data or information would be helpful to administrators or teachers to improve the educational practice with regard to planning, instruction, grouping, and assessment? (d) How does the school administration support the use of the current DDIS? (e) Overall, how supportive is the current district DDIS to administrators and teachers for the functions of planning, instruction, grouping, and assessment?;The data collection instrument contained a series of fifteen open-ended interview questions. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed. Each question for the interviews was designed to align with one or more of the research questions. The questions were given to a panel of experts to validate them concerning content and relevancy to the study.;The researchers utilized a combination of Objectivist and Heuristic Coding. The coding was done using a Qualitative Data Analysis Approach (QDA). The researchers studied each response searching for patterns in the different responses and later by looking again for patterns within patterns. In general, teachers in both subject areas found the system to be of minimal value due to timing considerations. Administrators found the system a great tool for preparing district reports. The results from this study may provide educational administrators, department chairs and teachers the research base necessary to implement and/or improve upon a DDIS at their respective sites. |
