This paper, written in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), provides a deep and nuanced examination of how states might respond to the student success or school quality indicator accountability provision (i.e., the so-called “5th indicator”) under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Conversations with state personnel reveal state education agencies (SEAs) are evaluating the range of choices for the school quality or student success indicator. Specifically, states are considering if indicators already being measured for state reporting or district accountability are suitable, which offers an advantage of reducing the implementation burden. Alternatively, SEAs are considering implementing new indicators to encourage an expanded definition of student and school success going beyond the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001.
