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Measure What Matters

A highly successful K-12 education should produce more than just straight-A students鈥攊t should produce productive and engaged citizens who can advance America鈥檚 future.

Schools need to adopt multiple measures aligned with local and state priorities, as well as current and future workforce and industry needs, expectations, and realities.

We know that future-ready students must be prepared with real-life skills for the real world. The New Basics (Principle 2) include emerging literacies鈥攕uch as digital, financial, and AI鈥攁s well as a return to good habits and a focus on producing well-rounded, healthy, and happy students.

A defining feature of public education in America is the extent to which local priorities and local control shape how a system structures itself and its resources. Aligning priorities with system performance measurement is essential if measurement is to function as a basis for improving how the system serves learners.

Since the launch of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, schools and communities have relied heavily and primarily on the use of high-stakes testing to determine student success and school district performance levels. High-stakes tests typically focus on specific academic subjects and basic skills that do not always align with the new, broader set of skills, knowledge, and attributes required for success in the evolving workforce and society. NAEP鈥檚 鈥淣ation鈥檚 Report Card鈥� relies on standardized testing, some of which has not evolved since the 1970s.

To accurately assess student performance, future-focused school leaders must prioritize measuring what is truly relevant to the future of the workforce and America.

By incorporating various assessment tools and methods, educators can better support students in developing the skills and competencies needed to thrive and succeed in the real world.

We know that success after high school looks different for every student and goes beyond test scores. Our ability to assess student success must fully measure all the ways that public education supports and develops students鈥攖heir well-being; life skills; skills acquisition; exposure to the arts, sports, and recreation; productive interactions with peers and community; and civic development鈥攁nd where it is falling short.

A highly successful K-12 education should produce more than just straight-A students鈥攊t should produce productive and engaged citizens who can advance America鈥檚 future. Using a variety of relevant measures provides a more comprehensive picture of a student鈥檚 abilities and readiness for work and life.

School districts are encouraged to incorporate a combination of assessment tools and methods to guide their practice and ensure students can thrive and succeed in the rapidly changing landscape of the 21st century.

School districts that use multi-measure assessments look at various factors, such as academic performance, course enrollment, out-of-school experiences, attendance, and discipline. They can also include measures of essential life skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. These data points, used to guide school district offerings, are more likely to indicate whether students are being prepared for the real world.