Preparing Special Education Candidates to Collect and Use Data in Rural Settings

This program improvement study examined how preservice teachers use formative assessment to guide instructional planning and reflection. Thirteen candidates from a special educator preparation program in a Midwest state received explicit instruction in formative assessment (i.e., planning, data collection, data analysis, reflection) and implemented a lesson in their field placements where they were to collect and use formative assessment data to make instructional decisions. While 100% planned to collect data and 79% included tools for data capture, only 33% implemented data collection as intended, and just 21% revised instructions based on their analysis. Reflection rubrics revealed a gap between acknowledging the value of and using data effectively to inform teaching. Findings support the need for explicit instruction, guided practice, follow-up instruction, and structured reflection protocols in teacher preparation to promote data-driven instruction. Strengthening candidates’ skills in the high-leverage practice (HLP) domain of data-driven planning is especially critical to improving instructional quality in rural schools. The discussion includes recommendations for improving alignment between coursework and field experiences in using assessment to improve student outcomes.