ABSTRACT Background: Data-based decision-making in education often focuses on the use of summative assessment data in order to bring about improvements in student achievement. However, many other sources of evidence are available across a wide range of indicators. There is potential for school leaders, teachers and students to use these diverse sources more fully to support their work on a range of school improvement goals. Purpose and sources of evidence: To explore data-based decision-making for school improvement, this theoretical paper discusses recent research and literature from different areas of data use in education. These areas include the use of formative assessment data, educational research study findings and ‘big data’. In particular, the discussion focuses on how school leaders and teachers can use different sources of data to improve the quality of education. Main argument: Based on the literature reviewed, an iterative model of data use for school improvement is described, consisting of defining goals for data use, collecting different types of data or evidence (e.g. formal data, informal data, research evidence and ‘big data’), sense-making, taking improvement actions and evaluation. Drawing on the literature, research insights are discussed for each of these components, as well as identification of the research gaps that still exist. It is noted that the process of data use does not happen in isolation: data use is influenced by system, organisation and team/individual level factors. Conclusions: When it comes to using data to improve the quality of teaching and learning, it is evident that some of the most important enablers and barriers include data literacy and leadership. However, what is less well understood is how we can promote the enablers and remove the barriers to unlock, more fully, the potential of data use. Only then can data use lead to sustainable school improvement.

中文翻译：

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基于数据的学校改进决策：研究见解和差距

摘要背景：教育中基于数据的决策通常侧重于总结性评估数据的使用，以提高学生的成绩。然而，还有许多其他证据来源可用于广泛的指标。学校领导、教师和学生有可能更充分地利用这些不同的资源来支持他们实现一系列学校改进目标的工作。目的和证据来源：为了探索基于数据的学校改进决策，这篇理论论文讨论了教育中数据使用不同领域的最新研究和文献。这些领域包括形成性评估数据的使用、教育研究的研究结果和“大数据”。特别是，讨论的重点是学校领导和教师如何使用不同的数据来源来提高教育质量。主要论点：基于查阅的文献，描述了用于学校改进的数据使用迭代模型，包括定义数据使用目标、收集不同类型的数据或证据（例如正式数据、非正式数据、研究证据和“大数据”） ')、感悟、采取改进行动和评估。借鉴文献，对每个组成部分的研究见解进行了讨论，并确定了仍然存在的研究差距。需要注意的是，数据使用的过程并不是孤立发生的：数据使用受系统、组织和团队/个人层面因素的影响。结论：当谈到使用数据来提高教学质量时，很明显，一些最重要的推动因素和障碍包括数据素养和领导力。然而，人们不太清楚的是，我们如何促进推动因素并消除障碍，以更充分地释放数据使用的潜力。只有这样，数据的使用才能导致可持续的学校改进。