Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

School Principals and Evidence Use: Possibilities and Problems for Preparation and Practice

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Evidence and Public Good in Educational Policy, Research and Practice

Part of the book series: Educational Governance Research ((EGTU,volume 6))

Abstract

In this chapter, we review and critique the literature on school leadership preparation and evidence use. The chapter is organized into three sections. In “What is Evidence and What is evidence Use?” we explore distinctions in the ways that scholars and practitioners have come to conceptualize evidence use and consider the implications of various definitions for leadership practice. In the second section, “School Leadership Preparation and Evidence Use,” we examine various ways that programs around the world approach training prospective or sitting school leaders in pre-service programmes. This includes university-based programs, district/department/state/national delivered programmes, those offered by private providers and partnerships between these various stakeholders. In doing so, we look both at program design and program outcomes. The third section, “Evidence in Use: How Principals Use Evidence to Make Decisions”, we review and interrogate research that investigates this phenomenon, paying special attention to effective and ineffective strategies. The chapter concludes with recommendations for pre-service and in-service development in relation to leadership and evidence use for the public good.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Alternately, some have argued for doing away with standards entirely (English, 2001, April; English 2003, Spring).

  2. 2.

    Others contend that we do not know what makes leaders “effective” or “successful,” and that leadership practice is instead idiosyncratic, context-bound and co-constructed among leaders and followers in an organization (Brooks 2006; Wolcott 1970).

References

  • Asen, R., Gurke, D., Conners, P., Solomon, R., & Gumm, E. (2013). Research evidence and school-board deliberations: Lessons from three Wisconsin school districts. Educational Policy, 27(1), 33–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biesta, G. (2007). Why “What works” won’t work: Evidence-based practice and the democratic deficit in educational research. Educational Theory, 57(1), 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell, M., Cordingley, P., Curtis, A., Evans, D., Hughes, S., & Shreeve, A. (2002). Bringing research resources to practitioner users via web technology: Lesson learned to date. Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Exeter, 12–14 September. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00002175.htm. Accessed 21 Oct 2015.

  • Black, W. R., & Murtadha, K. (2007). Toward a signature pedagogy in educational leadership preparation and program assessment. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 2(1), 1–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, J. S. (2006). The dark side of school reform: Teaching in the space between reality and utopia. Rowman & Littlefield Education: Lanham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, J. S., & Brooks, M. C. (Eds.). (2015). Urban educational leadership for social justice: International perspectives. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, J. S., & Miles, M. T. (2006). From scientific management to social justice and back again? Pedagogical shifts in educational leadership. International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning, 4(1), 2–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, J. S., Normore, A. H., Jean-Marie, G., & Hodgins, D. (2007). Distributed leadership for social justice: Influence and equity in an urban high school. Journal of School Leadership, 17(4), 378–408.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, J. S., Havard, T., Tatum, K., & Patrick, L. (2010, October). It takes more than a village: Inviting partners and complexity in educational leadership preparation reform. Journal of Research on Leadership in Education, 5(12.4), 418–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, J. S., Normore, A. H., Jean-Marie, G., & Brooks, M. C. (2016). Social justice. In Oxford bibliographies. http://oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756810/obo-9780199756810-0172.xml?rskey=Dibawa&result=17&q=Jeffrey+Brooks+Social+Justice#firstMatch. New York: Oxford University Press.

  • Cambron-McCabe, N. H. (1999). Confronting fundamental transformation of leadership preparation. In J. Murphy & P. B. Forsyth (Eds.), Educational administration: A decade of reform (pp. 217–227). Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers, I. (2005). If evidence-informed policy works in practice, does it matter if it doesn’t work in theory? Evidence and Policy, 1(2), 227–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, A., & Levin, B. (2013). Research use by leaders in Canadian school districts. International Journal of Educational Policy & Leadership, 8(7), 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coburn, C. E., & Talbert, J. E. (2006). Conceptions of evidence-based practice in school districts: Mapping the terrain. American Journal of Education, 112(4), 469–495.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coburn, C. E., Toure, J., & Yamashita, M. (2009). Evidence, interpretation, and persuasion: Instructional decision making at the district central office. Teachers College Record, 111(4), 1115–1161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cordingley, P. (2004). Teachers using evidence: using what we know about teaching and learning to reconceptualize evidence-based practice. In G. Thomas & R. Pring (Eds.), Evidence-based practice in education (pp. 77–87). Maidenhead: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darling-Hammond, L., LaPointe, M., Meyerson, D., & Orr, M. T. (2007). Preparing school leaders for a changing world: Lessons from exemplary leadership development programs. School Leadership Study. Executive Summary. Stanford Educational Leadership Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies, P. (1999). What is evidence-based education? British Journal of Educational Studies, 47(2), 108–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, H., Nutley, S., & Walter, I. (2008). Why “knowledge transfer” is misconceived for applied social research. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 13(3), 188–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeMatthews, D. (2016). Social justice dilemmas: Evidence on the successes and shortcomings of three principals trying to make a difference. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donmoyer, R., Imber, M., & Scheurich, J. J. (1995). The knowledge base in educational administration: Multiple perspectives. Albany: SUNY Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Earl, L. M. (2009). Leadership for evidence-informed conversations. In L. M. Earl & H. Timperley (Eds.), Professional learning conversations (pp. 43–52). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Earl, L. M. (2015). Reflections on the challenges of leading research and evidence use in schools. In C. Brown (Ed.), Leading the use of research and evidence in schools (pp. 146–152). London: Institute of Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Earl, L. M., & Timperley, H. (2009). Understanding how evidence and learning conversations work. In L. M. Earl & H. Timperley (Eds.), Professional learning conversations (pp. 1–12). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Estabrooks, C. A. (2001). Research utilization and qualitative research. In J. M. Morse, J. M. Swanson, & A. J. Kuzel (Eds.), The nature of qualitative evidence. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Figgis, J., Zubrick, A., Butorac, A., & Alderson, A. (2000). Backtracking practice and policies to research. In DETYA (Ed.), The impact of educational research. Canberra: DETYA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finnigan, K. S., & Daly, A. J. (2014). Using research evidence in education. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Finnigan, K. S., Daly, A. J., Hylton, N. D., & Che, J. (2015). Leveraging social networks for educational improvement. In C. Brown (Ed.), Leading the use of research and evidence in schools (pp. 137–145). London: Institute of Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational change (5th ed.). New York: Teachers’ College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallinger, P., & Murphy, J. F. (2012). Running on empty? Finding the time and capacity to lead learning. NASSP Bulletin, 97(1), 5–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hallinger, P., & Murphy, J. F. (2013). Running on empty? Finding the time and capacity to lead learning. NASSP Bulletin, 97(1), 5–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halverson, R., Grigg, J., Pritchett, R., & Thomas, C. (2007). The new instructional leadership: Creating data-driven instructional systems in school. Journal of School Leadership, 17, 159–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halverson, R., Grigg, J., Prichett, R., & Thomas, C. (2015). The new instructional leadership: Creating data-driven instructional systems in school. Journal of School Leadership, 25(3), 447–481. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.monash.edu.au/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA424532364&v=2.1&u=monash&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=8ead134fb60960d92c51ee77e4d30d91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hattie, J. (2015). High-impact leadership. Educational Leadership, 72(5), 36–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hess, F., & Kelley, A. (2005). Learning to lead? What gets taught in principal preparation programs. Cambridge, MA: Kennedy School of Government: Program on Education Policy and Governance.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, B. L., & Kelley, C. (2002). Exceptional and innovative programs in educational leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 38(2), 192–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jean-Marie, G., Normore, A. H., & Brooks, J. S. (2009). Leadership for social justice: Preparing 21st century school leaders for a new social order. Journal of Research on Leadership in Education, 4(1), 1–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, R. S. (2002). Using data to close the achievement gap: How to measure equity in our schools. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larson, C. L., & Murtadha, K. (2002). Leadership for social justice. Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, 101(1), 134–161. Chicago.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leithwood, K., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2008). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership. School Leadership & Management, 28(1), 27–42. doi:10.1080/13632430701800060.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin, B. (2004). Making research matter more. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 12, 56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin, B. (2010). Leadership for evidence-informed education. School leadership and managerment, 30(4), 303–315. doi:10.1080/13632434.2010.497483.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marzano, R. J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Means, B., Padilla, C., DeBarger, A., & Bakia, M. (2009). Implementing data-informed decision making in schools: Teacher access, supports and use. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, J. (1990a). The educational reform movement of the 1980s: A comprehensive analysis. In J. Murphy (Ed.), The reform of American public education in the 1980s: Perspectives and cases (pp. 3–55). Berkeley: McCutchan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, J. (1990b). Improving the preparation of school administrators: The National Policy Board’s story. The Journal of Educational Policy, 5(2), 181–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, J. (1990c). Preparing school administrators for the twenty-first century: The reform agenda. In B. Mitchell & L. L. Cunningham (Eds.), Educational leadership and changing contexts of families, communities, and schools (pp. 232–251). (the 1990 NSSE yearbook). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, J. (1990d). The reform of school administration: Pressures and calls for change. In J. Murphy (Ed.), The reform of American public education in the 1980s: Perspectives and cases (pp. 277–303). Berkeley: McCutchan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, J. (2001). The changing face of leadership preparation. The School Administrator, 58(10), 14–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, J., & Vriesenga, M. (2006). Research on school leadership preparation in the United States: An analysis. School Leadership and Management, 26(2), 183–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Normore, A. H., & Brooks, J. S. (Eds.). (2014). Educational leadership for ethics and social justice: Views from the social sciences. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nutley, S., Walter, I., & Davies, H. T. O. (2007). Using evidence: How research can inform public services. Bristol: Policy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nutley, S., Powell, A., & Davies, H. (2013). What counts as good evidence? London: Alliance for Useful Evidence.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orr, M. T. (2007). How preparation influences school leaders and their school improvement: Comparing exemplary and conventionally prepared principals. School Leadership Study: Developing Successful Principals. Stanford Educational Leadership Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orr, M. T., & Orphanos, S. (2011). How graduate-level preparation influences the effectiveness of school leaders: A comparison of the outcomes of exemplary and conventional leadership preparation programs for principals. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(1), 18–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, V. (2007). School leadership and student outcomes: Identifying what works and why, Australian Council for Educational Leaders Monograph Series Number 41. Winmalee: Australian Council for Educational Leaders.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheurich, J. J., & Skrla, L. (2003). Leadership for equity and excellence: Creating high achievement classrooms, schools, and districts. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sebba, J. (2004). Developing evidence-informed policy and practice in education. In G. Thomas & R. Pring (Eds.), Evidence-based practice in education (pp. 34–43). Maidenhead: Open.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharples, J. (2013). Evidence for the Frontline. London: Alliance for Useful Evidence.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheard, M. K., & Sharples, J. (2016). School leaders’ engagement with the concept of evidence-based practice as a management tool for school improvement. Educational Management and Leadership, 44(4), 668–687.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Timperley, H., & Earl, L. (2009). Using conversations to make sense of evidence: Possibilities and pitfalls. In L. M. Earl & H. Timperley (Eds.), Professional learning conversations (pp. 121–126). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolcott, H. F. (1970). An ethnographic approach to the study of school administrators. Human Organization, 29(2), 115–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young Yoon, S. (2016). Principals’ data-driven practice and its influence on teacher buy-in and student achievement in comprehensive school reform models. Leadership and Policy in Schools. doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2016.1181187

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Jeffrey S. Brooks, Mark Rickinson & Jane Wilkinson

Authors
  1. Jeffrey S. Brooks
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mark Rickinson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jane Wilkinson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeffrey S. Brooks .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale, Turkey

    Mustafa Yunus Eryaman

  2. College of Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA

    Barbara Schneider

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Brooks, J.S., Rickinson, M., Wilkinson, J. (2017). School Principals and Evidence Use: Possibilities and Problems for Preparation and Practice. In: Eryaman, M., Schneider, B. (eds) Evidence and Public Good in Educational Policy, Research and Practice. Educational Governance Research, vol 6. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58850-6_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58850-6_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-58849-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-58850-6

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation