Implementation of a collaborative data use model in a United States context

Collaborative data use requires educator capacity in moving data to action to address root causes of student underperformance. Implementation of the model used in the present study has proved promising in European countries for building educator capacity and addressing problems-of-practice, but this model has not been studied in the United States (US), where structural issues and accountability factors present different challenges. In the present study, we explored enabling and hindering factors of the implementation in an elementary school in the US to better understand how differences in policy and practice contexts influence collaborative data use. Organizational structures and some policies in the US hindered implementation. Drawing on our findings, we suggest shifting thinking around data use to accommodate for both short cycles of data use (for straightforward problems) and intentionally slow cycles for stickier problems; furthermore, nesting collaborative data use within high-priority initiatives may help mitigate barriers to future implementations.