Teaching Statistics in Principal Preparation Programs: Part 2

Teaching Statistics in Principal Preparation Programs: Part Three

“…The four primary data sources used to construct this information base were Etheredge IJER (1999), Jones (1999), Polnick (1999), and Sullivan (2000). A summary of the research designs and the findings for these four studies was reported in McNamara (2000). 2.…”

“…With this intent in mind, each recommendation centers on a single concept, uses specific findings from the research agenda to support why the recommendation is advanced, and provides some insights about how the recommendation might be implemented in an actual principal preparation program. McNamara (2000) noted that 90% of the 482 practicing principal interview comments identifying opportunities for data analysis declared the need to analyze data already available on the campus. The first course design recommendation is a direct response to the importance of this evidence.…”

“…A second advantage deals with the "data rich and analysis poor" problem elaborated in McNamara (2000). Specifically, asking class members to identify how archival data in the schools can be used by principals and their professional colleagues to inform campus-based planning and decision making can go a long way toward eliminating the view that campus data that principals forward to the central office for constructing school district and state databases were collected only for someone else's purposes.…”

“…However, they did indicate that a comprehensive step-by-step procedure for accomplishing the intent of Recommendation 6 can be found in three recent campus case study dissertations conducted by Etheredge (1999), Jones (1999), and Polnick (1999). These case study procedures and findings are summarized in McNamara (2000).…”

“…Case study topics likely to be of most interest to practicing school principals are instructional issues and concerns that they encounter on the job. This suggestion is based on research findings presented in McNamara (2000).…”