Pathways to New Accountability Through the Every Student Succeeds Act

The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides states with flexibility and the responsibility to design and implement new systems of accountability, support, and intervention. With the new law comes an opportunity to focus efforts at the school, district, and state level on ensuring that all students graduate from high school with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to participate fully in our society.

This report, produced in partnership with the Learning Policy Institute, provides critical information about the requirements and opportunities under the new federal education law. Drawing on promising examples from several states, as well as from New York City and Alberta, Canada, the authors offer alternative approaches to developing, presenting, and using a multiple-measure accountability system, including:

• A discussion of the types of indicators states can use to assess academic outcomes, student engagement, and opportunities to learn.
• Examples of how data dashboards can be used to collect and present multiple measures of student and school progress. 
• Strategies for identifying schools in need of assistance and developing diagnostic systems to support continuous improvement.
• Examples of how to evaluate evidence-based interventions for schools in need of additional support.