Accountability for Results: The Realities of Data-Driven Decision Making

The call of the nation for public school education in the 21st century is accountability for results! The format of this book addresses the most salient questions administrators, school board members, and community stakeholders need to ask to ensure academic and fiscal accountability. This book will provide definitions, background information and the current research on all of the questions. Readers will be provided with sufficient knowledge to effectively question the financial expenditures and educational practices within their districts and school buildings. For example, the research on professional development indicates that there is little correlation between dollars spent and student achievement (Guskey, 2000). Many times, teachers are provided training with little or no monitoring for actual implementation. This lack of follow-up and follow-through minimizes the positive impact on student achievement. Examples of the different types of data are provided that can be utilized for the analysis and evaluation of progress in district and school level improvements. To elicit collaborative discussions and support the development of district action-planning, reflective questions are also included.