Accountability

Evidence suggests that earning college credit prior to postsecondary enrollment is a predictor of college success. States are now being asked to consider including measures related to students earning college credit during high school in their accountability systems. This paper offers research-based guidance and recommendations to states for incorporating these indicators into their accountability systems.

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 high school with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to participate fully in our society.

With the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states now have flexibility to design more balanced accountability systems. This report details the advancement made by 10 states to create accountability systems that support meaningful learning opportunities, especially in terms of current policy and capacity-building efforts in designing accountability frameworks. Included in this report are examples of state legislation, working papers, and board meeting minutes.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) includes a number of key provisions related to career readiness. It includes an updated definition of a “well-rounded” education and requires schools to add, at minimum, one indicator of school quality or student success to their accountability system. This brief details considerations for using these indicators and offers appendices highlighting how states define these indicators in their accountability systems.