Although data driven-decision making has been the mantra of school reform for the last 10 years, school leaders benefit from frequent discussions in how to engage teachers in the process. As a result, the purpose of this paper is to apply Reeves' (2004) framework concerning Antecedents of Excellence in creating a school culture that routinely uses data to inform instruction. The authors argue principals must focus on three antecedents as precursors to effective data use: leadership responsibilities, professional development responsibilities, and school culture responsibilities. Additionally, the authors highlight shared leadership as being instrumental when creating a data-driven culture. Applications for practice are included. (Contains 1 figure and 4 footnotes.)