Chapter 13: Principal as Effective Data Leader: From Research to Practice

Springer Elementary¹had been in federal school improvement status. The school had failed to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) for a number of years and was close to entering corrective action. Teachers described intense pressure and stress. One teacher who has been with the school for 28 years described that period in the school’s history by lamenting, “We were suffering. Really truly we were suffering.” Then things changed in a big way. Teachers credited changes to the principal assigned to the school, Dr. Margo Williams, who was known as the Data Queen. Within 3 years, Springer was out of school improvement status and received a state Title I school award for strong achievement gains.