Keywords

data-driven decision-making, education, accountability, data literacy, educational leaders, implementation-expectation gap

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examined how accountability influences educational leaders' data-driven decision-making (DDDM) practices in Central Florida. Grounded in the principal-agent and consequential accountability frameworks, the study investigated demographic predictors, implementation challenges, and the role of accountability in DDDM. Educational leaders completed online surveys measuring DDDM perceptions across five subscales and responded to open-ended questions. The responses were analyzed through multiple regression, correlation, and thematic coding.

Accountability emerged as DDDM's strongest predictor, significantly exceeding demographic and organizational variables. Five implementation challenges were identified: Data Literacy Gaps, Data Timeliness Issues, Resource Constraints, Implementation Fidelity, and Systemic Barriers. Accountability demonstrated dual effects: many leaders reported positive impacts including enhanced student targeting and improved data infrastructure. The negative consequences included pressure and tension with student needs. This pattern reveals an implementation-expectation gap where policy mandates outpace organizational capacity development.

Findings suggest effective DDDM requires balancing accountability pressures with systematic capacity building. Policy implications include reducing information asymmetry between policymakers and practitioners, funding comprehensive data literacy development, and monitoring unintended consequences of high-stakes accountability systems.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Moore, Sheila

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

Educational Leadership and Higher Education

Format

PDF

Document Type

Dissertation

Identifier

DP0053183

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