Decision Making The Role of Ethics and Data

Running head: ETHICS AND DATA IN DECISION MAKING

ETHICS AND DATA IN DECISION MAKING

The Role of Ethics and Data in Decision Making

Abstract

This paper seeks to establish the relationship between data and ethics and how it influences decision-making within a school set-up. Data-driven decision-making has been identified as one of the essential values in school leadership. Since the 1960s, existing decision-making techniques in educational leadership literature have been data-driven decision-making, moral decision-making, and contingency decision-making. Making decisions through a data-driven approach refers to data use in goal setting, identification of problem statements, identification of options and evaluation, and finally, choosing a course of action. On the other hand, moral decision-making deals with what is fair, right, virtuous, and morally upright. These two approaches could conflict if school leaders are situated in a context where leaders, students, and facilitators have competing interests. This paper concludes by highlighting how these two concepts can be employed harmoniously to facilitate leaders’ better decision-making.

Keywords: data, ethics, decision making, school administration, goals

The Role of Ethics and Data in Decision-Making within a School Set-Up

Data-driven decision-making has been identified as one of the essential values in school leadership. Since the 1960s, prevalent decision-making techniques in educational leadership literature have been data-driven decision making, moral decision making, and contingency decision making (Strike & Soltis, 2005). Making decisions through a data-driven approach refers to data use in goal setting, identification of problem statements, identification of options and evaluation, and finally, choosing a course of action. On the other hand, moral decision-making deals with what is fair, right, virtuous, and morally upright.

Ethics

This refers to moral philosophy. It can also be defined as a code of morals practiced by a person or group of people. It simply defends the concepts of right and wrong. On a general note, ethics seek to resolve questions of human morality. This is done by the definition of ideas such as right and wrong, good and evil, etc. (Wagner & Simpson, 2008)

Ethics in school administration deals with educational actions which happen within a school setting. To this effect, the success of a school and the extent to which it achieves its goals is dependent on school leadership and effective governance. Ethical issues are a part of everyday life in schools (Wang, 2019). As much as doing the right thing may seem easy when an ethically difficult situation arises; one must seek to examine their ethics in practice. The question then becomes, ‘can one stand by the right choices even when faced with tough situations that may require one to compromise?

A school leader who consistently behaves morally means that he or she values social justice. In contrast, a leader who is inconsistent and behaves arbitrarily loses his reliance among the other staff members, which becomes controversial (Wagner & Simpson, 2008). Decision-making within a school set-up is a crucial process, and hence an ethical or unethical decision directly influences the school climate. The following table shows some of the ethical violations and the penalty awarded for every violation.

District Code of Ethics Analysis Chart

School District: Miami senior high school

Ethics Violation

Example of Violation

Penalty for Violation

Disruptive behavior

. The 2018-2019 SESIR Data shows there were 60 incidents of disruptive behavior in Miami senior high school

Disciplinary referrals

Staff absence

2019-2020 Miami district results showed only 5% of staff with 0 absences in Miami senior high school

Disciplinary action was taken against them

Substance abuse

According to the 2018-2019 School Climate Survey, 20% of respondents agreed that there is a substance abuse problem, which remained the same in the 2019-2020 School Climate Survey.

The disciplinary course of action was also taken against those found of substance abuse.

The following are four domains of ethical responsibility that can be used to view the daily and often routine decision-making processes in negotiating the multiple roles and social relationships in the school environment.

Responsibility as a human being

In this domain, leaders tend to act out of an ethic of care. It is generally concerned with acting with respect and compassion to preserve the dignity of oneself and others within the same working environment (Wagner & Simpson, 2008). It’s also related to trust and loyalty issues, which are paramount as one enacts their responsibility to be ethical human beings. It is important to be honest, true, understanding, compassionate, and do the right thing even under pressure, i.e., doing things for others’ good.

Responsibility as a citizen and public servant

School leaders are responsible for attaining the common good as they uphold the civic rights within the school setting as part of the larger society (Mandinach, Honey & Light, 2006). They also organize the school based on the principles of democratic discourse and engage the community as part of the democratic process in the school.

Responsibility as an educator

School leaders have a role in ensuring that facilitators know the content of the curriculum that they can communicate this using various approaches and that they know their students well enough to be able to offer them authentic learning experiences that relate to their lives and interests (Strike, Haller & Soltis, 2005). School leaders also have to create opportunities for the empowerment of the teachers as facilitators of the curriculum and also to protect the ethic of learning as they engage with the community, both as professionals and as learners themselves

Responsibility as an educational administrator

The leader ensures there are equitable structures and practices to enhance student learning. All the decisions made within a school setting should be for the well-being of the students.

Data

In education, data refers to information that educators collect on individual students. It is perceived as the machine that receives and uses inputs to facilitate educational progress, success, and attainment (Mandinach & Light, 2006). The use of data is dependent on the inputs from teachers, parents, students, the district, and the state at large. Data can be categorized in terms of specific inputs, including teacher quality and student demographics, and specific data outputs, including attendance, grades, assessment scores, and graduation rates.

When interpreted correctly and efficiently, data can be a handy tool in understanding individual student needs and employing strategies to differentiate instruction. It helps facilitators understand each learner in terms of learning abilities and challenges, also the facilitation of ingrained cultural process that uses detailed inputs, i.e., information, to promote optimal outputs, i.e., student results.

The following is a table showing how data collected was used to determine instructional areas that needed improvement and the strategies to ensure its achievement.

Instructional Improvement Targets Analysis Chart

Instructional Improvement Target

Current Intervention

1. provision of the clear instruction to enhance the use of practical comprehension plan of actions

Active comprehension monitoring leads to the use of fix-up strategies when comprehension fails

Use of semantic organizers, including story maps

Selective rereading

2. set and maintain high standards for text, conversation, question, and vocabulary

Set literacy goals and standards, ensuring alignment with curriculum and assessments

Elevating learning expectations across the curriculum for all students

3. increase student motivation and engagement with reading

Giving students opportunities to collaborate with their peers in discussion and assignment groups to achieve their learning goals

Paying careful attention to text difficulty

4. teach essential content knowledge so that all students master critical concepts

Combination of wide reading, direct teaching of individual, high utility words, instruction in how to learn interdependently, and instruction activities that increase learning consciousness