Across the United States, teachers and teacher educators are facing increased accountability for improved student achievement. Using assessment results to inform instruction provides a catalyst to improve student outcomes and is a key skill for preservice teacher candidates. The process of data-based decision making is integral to performance tasks by teachers. Therefore, teacher– educators need to develop teacher candidates with the knowledge and skills to collect and use data to assess their own teaching and, ultimately, improve student achievement. In addition, these student achievement data are now also important to the accountability processes and accreditation of educator preparation programs. The purpose of this article is to describe a conceptual model, including specific skills and processes of data-based decision making, to address accountability demands for continuous improvement based upon student learning results across multiple contexts. Considerations for implementation by teacher educators will be shared to build a comprehensive system of sustained school reform.
