Making ends meet - when school leaders use data and feedback in the development of leadership practice

In the wake of a major school reform in Denmark, school leaders face a policy driven demand for developing leadership practices, which contributes to increasing learning outcomes for all students. The use of data, assessment and feedback are promoted as part and parcel of such leadership practices. This counts both as a measure for increased performance management and accountability as well as a driver for professional development (E.g. Earl & Fullan 2003; Koyama 2014). In the research literature the use of data in educational leadership is often discussed either within a framework of accountability or with a reference to the formative use of data for development (Hornskov et al 2015). However, in our case study of how school leadership teams use and interpret data and feedback on their own leadership practices, the boundaries between accountability and development does not seem clear cut.