Next Generation Accountability: Creating Performance Frameworks for Student Success

Posted on February 15, 2023February 12, 2023 by coreeducation

A new issue brief from Aurora Institute explores how policymakers can approach rethinking, redesigning, and rearchitecting next generation accountability systems. Next generation accountability systems can empower states, districts, communities, and schools with timely, relevant information and provide the capacity to analyze and continuously improve instruction and learning. Continuously improving education systems use evidence-based practices and Read more about Next Generation Accountability: Creating Performance Frameworks for Student Success[…]

Unfinished Agenda: The Future of Standards-Based School Reform

Posted on July 6, 2022July 5, 2022 by coreeducation

Future Ed recently published a piece in which Michael Cohen and Laura Slover review the history of standards-based school reform and propose next steps for the future. The long campaign to raise standards in the nation’s public schools, for decades the cornerstone of efforts to improve the educational opportunities and outcomes of traditionally underserved students, Read more about Unfinished Agenda: The Future of Standards-Based School Reform[…]

A New Way to Gauge Schools’ Success Serving Highest-Need Students

Posted on July 21, 2021July 18, 2021 by coreeducation

Writing for FutureEd, Bryan Hassel and Greg Lippman describe a project that attempts to develop a new measure of school performance that clearly identifies which schools are doing the best job with vulnerable student populations. Excerpts of the piece appear below: Knowing a school’s numbers of English language learners, students with disabilities, and students eligible Read more about A New Way to Gauge Schools’ Success Serving Highest-Need Students[…]

From Pandemic to Progress: Eight Education Pathways for COVID-19 Recovery

Posted on February 24, 2021February 22, 2021 by coreeducation

COVID-19 has presented new challenges for schools and families to grapple with when it comes to student learning — but the pandemic also has illuminated shortcomings and missed opportunities that have long been present in our education system. A new series of briefs from Bellwether offers guidance on how the education sector can recenter and Read more about From Pandemic to Progress: Eight Education Pathways for COVID-19 Recovery[…]

Achieve: Do not use SAT or ACT as state summative assessment

Posted on June 12, 2018June 10, 2018 by coreeducation

Achieve released a new brief warning against the use of ACT or SAT exams as the summative high school assessment for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Achieve highlighted three reviews of these tests, looking at their alignment to states’ college- and career-ready academic standards and how using the tests for accountability would impact students, Read more about Achieve: Do not use SAT or ACT as state summative assessment[…]

New Case Studies: Policy Implementation Hinges on Educator Support

Posted on February 21, 2018February 16, 2018 by coreeducation

Many states will be transitioning to new ESSA-aligned accountability systems over the next few years, and the way those accountability systems are presented to teachers could have a dramatic impact on how they are perceived in states. A new PIE Network resource offers lessons learned from successful implementation efforts, and a useful reminder of what Read more about New Case Studies: Policy Implementation Hinges on Educator Support[…]

The ‘A’ Word: Accountability – The Dirty Word of Today’s Education Reform

Posted on November 27, 2017November 26, 2017 by coreeducation

Throughout this year, the Bush Institute has interviewed education leaders at length about what school accountability means to them. The result is the launch of The “A” Word: Accountability–The Dirty Word of Education Reform. Throughout this interview series, recognized leaders identify why accountability practices matter and how they have used them. They also provide an Read more about The ‘A’ Word: Accountability – The Dirty Word of Today’s Education Reform[…]

Chiefs for Change’s Bipartisan Vision for America’s Schools

Posted on November 21, 2017November 19, 2017 by coreeducation

A functional consensus is emerging among the nation’s boldest education leaders, producing not identical policies, but a set of vital principles that drive approaches shaped to the needs of each of their communities. It’s a set of principles born of extensive work, with the needs of students at the center. It’s worthy of the attention Read more about Chiefs for Change’s Bipartisan Vision for America’s Schools[…]

New Online Tracker Shows How States Will Hold Schools Accountable Under ESSA

Posted on November 17, 2017November 11, 2017 by coreeducation

Achieve has released an online tracking tool that summarizes components of states’ accountability plans as submitted to the U.S. Department of Education under the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The tool also allows for users to compare states’ accountability metrics. As part of ESSA, every state was required to create and submit Read more about New Online Tracker Shows How States Will Hold Schools Accountable Under ESSA[…]

What are states using as School Quality and Student Success Indicators?

Posted on October 18, 2017October 14, 2017 by coreeducation

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that each state meaningfully differentiates its schools based at least on the following indicators: Academic achievement; Another academic indicator (growth and/or graduation rates); English Learner Language proficiency; and An indicator of school quality or student success – The indicator of school quality or student success (SQ/SS), should be Read more about What are states using as School Quality and Student Success Indicators?[…]

State Guide to Building Online School Report Cards

Posted on June 1, 2017May 26, 2017 by coreeducation

A new guide, co-created by the Council for Chief State School Officers, Collaborative Communications Group, Data Quality Campaign, ExcelinEd, Learning Heroes and National PTA, helps states break down the process for creating report cards that are easy for parents and the public to access and understand. The State Guide to Building Online School Reports Cards Read more about State Guide to Building Online School Report Cards[…]

The Shortcomings of Efficiency in Education

Posted on May 26, 2017March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

Andy Smarick, writing for AEI, has penned a piece on the shortcomings of efficiency as an educational goal. Excerpts from his article appear below: There are very good reasons to resist (or at least be skeptical of) efforts to drive “efficiency” in public education. One of the biggest reasons is that any attempt to maximize Read more about The Shortcomings of Efficiency in Education[…]

Early Results in California’s CORE Districts

Posted on May 19, 2017May 12, 2017 by coreeducation

As states and districts work to develop new accountability systems under the Every Student Succeeds Act, six California districts who received federal waivers under the Obama administration are getting the first hints of how more holistic accountability systems might work. Researchers and district officials discussed the first evaluations of the California Office to Reform Education, Read more about Early Results in California’s CORE Districts[…]

Redefining Accountability to Treat Educators like the Professionals they Are

Posted on May 3, 2017April 29, 2017 by coreeducation

The Behavioral Science and Policy Association recently published Reimagining Accountability in K–12 Education. This paper reviews the extensive behavioral science literature that shows outcome-based accountability, commonly used in education, is only one of multiple forms of accountability that should be considered for new accountability structures. Author Brian Gill recently commented on the paper in the Read more about Redefining Accountability to Treat Educators like the Professionals they Are[…]

Accountability, College & Career Readiness: Is This the Best We Can Do?

Posted on April 28, 2017March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

In Education Week’s Top Performer’s blog, Marc Tuker recently reflected on the gap between typical American practice and global best practice when it comes to college and career readiness. Below are excerpts from the post: In top-performing education systems, qualifications systems are designed so that at the end of each stage of a student’s progression Read more about Accountability, College & Career Readiness: Is This the Best We Can Do?[…]

ESSA Co-Pilot

Posted on April 4, 2017March 30, 2017 by coreeducation

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) has launched a helpful new resource hub, the ESSA Co-Pilot, designed for anyone interested in ESSA state plans. This website includes resources organized by ESSA topic, plan section, and state; the latest news and ESSA events, including links to the new template for consolidated plans and a webinar on Read more about ESSA Co-Pilot[…]