Data-Driven Leadership

Chapter 2

The Four Ps of Educational Reform

People, Policies, Practices, and Patterns

It was the height of summer when James, an assistant principal, was charged with analyzing his middle school's test score data for the previous year and making recommendations to the principal. Two significant concerns quickly arose: seventh-grade math scores had declined by 15 percent since the previous year, and scores in eighth-grade history were down by 8 percent. The school was already under state sanction, and these declines would cause further concern at the district and state levels. James was not surprised. Last year he had observed and documented two problematic teaching situations in math and social studies. He observed a math teacher who seemed very ...