AIMING PAST PROFICIENCY: RE-DEFINING DATA LITERACY FOR TEACHERS TO RAISE ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL.

Abstract

Achievement gaps between racial subgroups persist in many US schools, and the inequitable 100-point grading system—virtually unchanged over the last 100 years—has been identified as one contributing factor. Regional Rural School (RRS) took steps to better inform students and parents of their academic progress by transitioning to standards-based grading (SBG) in fall of 2000. RRS results have shown a decrease in the achievement gap for several subgroups, but Black students still had a noticeable achievement gap compared to their White peers. This project investigated whether increasing data literacy among teachers implementing SBG would help to reduce the Black-White achievement gap. The parallel mixed method study design utilized the Data Matters Framework and a modified Plan-Do-Study-Act continuous improvement model. The study assessed the current state of data literacy in the SBG environment and provided professional learning to increase data literacy, so teachers could focus on decreasing the achievement gap for this subgroup and assess how data literacy was supporting school-wide instructional practices. Findings from this study suggest that some teachers successfully reduced the achievement gap in three state-level assessments and had no noticeable gap in SBG data sets. Even though the school did not close the gap, there were more positive outcomes for participants who received professional learning in small group or individual settings.