School Librarians as Data Coaches

Abstract

School library educators at two university locations in North Texas collaborated on a research initiative to address the perceived need for data literacy preparation at the pre-service level. The research initiative explored the potential for school librarians to provide data literacy leadership through the systematic development of competencies in the master’s-level pre-service professional preparation program. Participants from various school levels operated as a focus group in the fall of 2018 to identify competencies necessary for library professionals to develop as part of a pre-service training program. The answers to the nine key questions are presented as participant data related to data-informed decision-making in schools.