Schools and Data : The Educator's Guide for Using Data to Improve Decision Making

by Theodore B. Creighton

• ISBN13: 9781412937320
• ISBN10: 1412937329
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781452238432
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-07-11
• Publisher: Corwin Pr
• More Book Details

Summary

This reader-friendly second edition provides step-by-step procedures for using data to facilitate effective decision making and focuses on strengthening educators' problem analysis and data interpretation skills.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xvii
About the Authors	xix
1. The Role of Data Analysis in the Lives of School Leaders	1	(7)
What Is This Thing Called Statistics?	2	(1)
What Are SPSS and Excel?	3	(1)
The Rationale for Using Data to Improve Decision Making in Our Schools	4	(1)
So, What's the Problem?	4	(1)
The Use of Statistics in the Classroom: A Case Study	5	(2)
Application Activities	7	(1)
2. Getting Started	8	(11)
What Is Data-Driven Decision Making?	11	(1)
Introduction to Excel and SPSS	11	(3)
Let's Try an Example	14	(2)
Conclusion	16	(1)
Application Activity	17	(1)
About the NCLB Activities	17	(2)
3. Collecting and Organizing Data	19	(13)
Why SPSS and Microsoft Excel?	19	(1)
OK, Let's Give It a Go!	20	(1)
Frequency Distribution	21	(2)
Cross-Tabulation	23	(1)
Measures of Central Tendency	23	(4)
Measures of Variability	27	(2)
Conclusion	29	(1)
Application Activities	30	(1)
NCLB Activity	31	(1)
4. Correlation: My GRE Score Is Not Good Enough for Harvard!	32	(18)
Why Would Educators Be Interested in Correlations?	38	(1)
A School Music Program: A Case Study	39	(6)
Other Data-Driven Decision Making	45	(1)
Conclusion	46	(3)
Application Activities	49	(1)
NCLB Activity	49	(1)
5. Introduction to Regression	50	(14)
Simple Regression	52	(9)
Conclusion	61	(1)
Application Activity	62	(1)
NCLB Activity	63	(1)
6. Formulating Research Questions and the Comparison of Means	64	(17)
Hypothesis Testing and Formulating Research Questions	65	(3)
Z Scores	68	(7)
The t Statistic	75	(2)
One-Sample t Test: An Example	77	(2)
Conclusion	79	(1)
Application Activity	80	(1)
NCLB Activity	80	(1)
7. The Independent-Samples t Test	81	(21)
A Try at Conceptual Understanding	81	(12)
Using SPSS and Excel for Testing Independent Samples	93	(3)
OK, Your Turn Now	96	(2)
Conclusion	98	(2)
Application Activity	100	(1)
NCLB Activity	101	(1)
8. Analysis of Variance: The Difference Between Two or More Sample Means	102	(13)
Advantages of ANOVA Over t Tests	103	(1)
Using the Analysis of Variance	104	(7)
Post Hoc Tests	111	(2)
Conclusion	113	(1)
Application Activity	113	(1)
NCLB Activity	114	(1)
9. Analysis of Variance: Repeated Measures	115	(12)
Let's Get Right to an Example	115	(7)
One More Question: Where Does the Difference Lie?	122	(2)
Conclusion	124	(1)
Application Activity	125	(1)
NCLB Activity	126	(1)
10. Two-Way Analysis of Variance: Two Independent Variables	127	(10)
Working With Two Independent Variables	127	(7)
Conclusion	134	(1)
Application Activity	135	(1)
NCLB Activity	135	(2)
11. What If No Mean Scores? The Chi-Square Test for Goodness of Fit	137	(11)
The Chi-Square Formula	139	(2)
OK, Let's Practice With a Real-Life Example	141	(1)
You're Still With Me? Let's Get Back to the Cafeteria	142	(2)
Oops! Let's Check Power and Effect Size	144	(1)
Communication of Statistics	145	(1)
Conclusion	146	(1)
Application Activity	147	(1)
NCLB Activity	147	(1)
12. The Other "Q"	148	(7)
Getting at the Definition of Qualitative	149	(1)
OK, but How About a Real-Life Example?	149	(3)
Conclusion	152	(1)
Application Activity	153	(1)
NCLB Activity	153	(2)
13. Putting It All Together: An Evidence-Based Practice Field	155	(24)
Why the Change to Evidence-Based Decision Making?	156	(1)
Practice and Performance Fields	157	(2)
An Evidence-Based Practice Field	159	(17)
Conclusion	176	(3)
Resource A. Music Correlation	179	(1)
Resource B. The t Distribution Table	180	(2)
Resource C. The F Distribution Table	182	(2)
Resource D. The Chi-Square Distribution Table	184	(2)
Resource E. Horizon High School Data	186	(5)
References	191	(2)
Index	193