Data Wise in Action:
Stories of Schools Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning

Kathryn Parker Boudett and Jennifer L. Steele, editors
Harvard Education Press, 2007

What does it look like when a school uses data wisely? Data Wise in Action, a sequel to Data Wise, tells the stories of eight very different schools following the Data Wise process of using assessment results to improve teaching and learning. Data Wise in Action highlights the leadership challenges schools face in each phase of the eight-step Data Wise cycle, and illustrates how staff members use creativity and collaboration to overcome those challenges.

Data Wise in Action builds on the work of leading faculty and graduate students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, who joined with exemplary practitioners in 2005 to produce Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning. Since its publication, Data Wise has been read by thousands of school leaders, many of whom have shared the book with colleagues and staff. The success of the original book has generated a new demand among school leaders: to hear real stories from schools that are implementing the Data Wise process. Data Wise in Action answers that need, offering both inspiration and practical guidance to school leaders.