Year of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Degree Name

Educational Leadership

Department or School/College

Phyllis J. Washington College of Education

Committee Chair

Erica Allen

Commitee Members

John Matt, Michael Owens, Michael Perry, Meagan Rides At The Door

Keywords

Data Driven Decision Making, Instructional Coaches, Instructional Coaching, Instructional Decision Making, Principal Leadership, School Systems

Abstract

Over the past several decades, education policies in the United States have increasingly emphasized the use of data to guide instructional improvement to raise student achievement. While these policies have increased attention to data use in schools, many educators report limited preparation and support for effectively interpreting and applying student data in classroom practice. As a result, schools continue to face challenges in developing sustainable data-driven decision-making (DDDM) cultures that support continuous improvement.

This study examined the relationship between instructional coaching and the development of DDDM cultures in Montana schools. The purpose of this research was to determine whether statistically significant differences exist in the perceived characteristics of DDDM cultures between schools that utilize an instructional coach and schools that do not utilize an instructional coach. The study focused on four constructs of teacher data use culture: competence in using data, attitudes toward data use, collaboration in using data, and organizational supports for data use.

A quantitative, non-experimental comparative design was employed. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics to summarize the data, independent-samples t tests to determine whether statistically significant differences existed between groups, and Cohen’s d to estimate the magnitude of observed differences. Data were collected using the Teacher Data Use Survey (Wayman et al., 2016) from teachers and principals in grades 3–8 in Montana schools.

Results indicated no statistically significant differences for teachers between schools with instructional coaches and schools without instructional coaches across the four constructs. For principals, statistically significant differences were found in perceptions of teachers’ competence using data and collaboration around data, while no statistically significant differences were identified for attitudes toward data use or organizational supports. These findings suggest that differences associated with instructional coaching may be evident in specific dimensions of DDDM culture, particularly in principals’ perceptions, but not consistently across all constructs or respondent groups.

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© Copyright 2026 Kaitlyn Watts Hess