Datafication and Juridification in Early Years Education: Recontextualizing the Duty to Provide Intensive Training in Reading in One Norwegian School

Internationally, data and legislation have been given an increasing role in the governance of schools. One example is the combination of state-provided mapping tests and the legislation on intensive training in early years education in Norway. Ample room is provided for professional judgment when it comes to how intensive training should be practiced and how data should be used. However, the legislation may still be controversial and may challenge Norwegian traditions by measuring children against given standards. This paper explores how power and control work in the recontextualizing of the legislation into pedagogical practice in reading in one school. Agents in the school differ when it comes to how they perceive the legitimacy of the tests. However, the high expectations of the school principal in regard to results means that the tests set important premises for what counts as legitimate communication and pedagogical priorities. Gray-zone pupils are prioritized at the cost of special education, and these pupils spend more time on what they are not mastering, work with a narrower curriculum, and lose time and shared experiences with their peer group. The recontextualizing represents a manifestation of the neoliberal discourse emphasizing individualization and trainability at the cost of all-round approaches and pupil kinship in early years education.