#11: Kim Schildkamp — Data Use Doesn't Start with Data

Fishing For Problems

Dr. Kim Schildkamp is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Behavioral, Management, and Social Sciences at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Her research focuses on (professional development in) data-informed decision making. She is a Fulbright scholarship recipient, which she used to study data use in Louisiana. Kim is also the current president of ICSEI (International Congress on School Effectiveness and Improvement). Kim has done research on data use and school improvement in multiple countries—she is one of the top academics on the topic of data use in the K12 space—and has published numerous papers in peer reviewed journals. Kim and I talked about data use in K12, a practice that her research shows is complex and multifaceted. Because it is a commonly used strategy for school improvement, an increased focus on how to do it well and a realization that significant time and effort is required to master this practice is critical for school and district leaders as well as teachers. I hope this conversation illuminates some of the challenges and provides some recommendations for how to do this work well.