Welcome to all members of the Special Interest Group (SIG) on Data-Driven Decision Making in Education.  The purposes of the SIG are to provide an intellectual home for people working in the area of data-driven decision making; to foster collaboration among interested AERA members with regard to educational research focused on or related to data-driven decision making; and to foster collaboration among university/research entities, local, state, and federal educational agencies, and professionals working in areas of practice related to educational data use.

Data-driven decision making is a diverse topic of examination and data use is the foundation for most of educational research. It is fundamental. That said, the original conception for the SIG was to include several areas of focus and/or collaboration. They include, but are not limited to:

• components of data use (e.g., professional learning, data teams, data coaches, facilitators and barriers of data use);
• uses of “big data” and data analysis;
• longitudinal data systems; use of local data systems;
• theoretical issues related to data use;
• leadership for data use;
• uses of data by teachers, students, parents, school leaders, and system/district leaders;
• continuous improvement efforts in schools and cultures of inquiry;
• data literacy/capacity efforts;
• policy issues that surround data use; and
• issues of data privacy.

We hope that the SIG will be promote quality research, practice, and policy in the area of data-driven decision making. We also hope that the SIG will provide opportunities for colleagues to share their work, create new collaborations, and provide mentoring for young scholars and graduate students. We want the SIG to meet the needs of the members so it is important for leaders to hear from you. We have a listserv for communication but I am always willing to engage by email. You can reach me at lmabrams@vcu.edu.

Lisa Abrams, Chair