Data and Teaching

Moving Beyond Magical Thinking to Effective Practice

Drawing on their research in nine of New York City’s most poverty‐impacted schools, the authors dive deep into school systems and routines, as well as into teachers’ practices and students’ experiences. They also zoom out to capture the larger currents that have made this school reform strategy so prominent today. Each chapter includes a discussion of a new direction that schools and teachers can take to ensure that data use in teaching actually spurs growth in learning. This resource extracts lessons from both chaotic and productive data implementation in order to inform practice and fulfill hopes for better schooling, richer teaching, and deeper learning.

“A detailed and fascinating account of how distributive leadership, collaboration, and professional learning can greatly and positively influence teachers’ effective use of data.”
—Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers

“Data and Teaching offers a rare and subtle blend of generous witnessing, discerning analysis, and practical directives for educational innovation and improvement.”
—Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, professor, Harvard University

“Essential reading for anyone committed to improving teaching as either a practical or an intellectual matter!”
—James Spillane, professor, Northwestern University

“Finally, a book on using data to improve schools that goes beyond a theoretical framework and explores what really happens when teachers try to do this work. Every school and district should read it.”
—Ron Berger, EL Education