The Delta Issue #42

Measurement systems reveal what you value. What does yours say?

You’ve probably heard the adage “what gets measured gets done.” When it comes to our school systems, it couldn’t be more true. Good measurement systems don’t just assess student performance, they drive student outcomes.

This is an urgent moment for state leaders to get measurement right. As Washington steps back from federal accountability, everyone will be looking to states to lead the way forward on progress. My message to every state leader is this: Your vision for education is only as good as your ability to measure whether it’s working.

That’s why next week’s National Conference on Student Assessment hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers is so timely. It’s bringing together some of the top measurement minds — including our own in-house experts, Jill Zimmerman Pinsky and Andrew S. — to tackle how states can leverage assessment and accountability to drive student learning.

At this conference, we’ll be debuting our brand new measurement playbook, full of practical, tangible steps for state leaders. And as a subscriber to the Delta, we want you to get an early look.

Check out “Improving Measurement Systems to Drive Implementation” here, and keep reading for three questions every state leader should start with when designing or re-evaluating their measurement system:

1. What do I want to be true for students?

Good measurement starts with a clear vision: What is it like for kids in the classroom today, and what do you want to be different? (More here on how to articulate a coherent vision for students, and avoid platitudes along the way.)

This will allow you to align your measurement system to your vision so you can use data to make better decisions for better student outcomes. When we work with states, we usually start with this list of guiding principles:

1. All students are capable of excellence.
2. Good schools are not defined by how students entered school, where they live, or how much money their family has.
3. All student experiences across all grades matter.
4. Measures of school quality should be useful and accurate.
5. Stakeholders need user-friendly, accessible information on school quality and student performance.
6. Measurement drives tangible improvements.

What would you add or change? Knowing what you’re driving towards will help you know where to focus and where to redirect your effort.

2. Am I using every lever of measurement TOGETHER in one coherent system to reinforce effective practices?

Every state agency oversees the functions of measurement—assessments, reporting, school improvement, and accountability formulas—but often each of these levers happens in a silo. What makes a measurement system is all of these combined to serve a common goal.

And, even more than the components of measurement working together, they need to work with the rest of the state agency. Your CAO should have enough insight into your accountability formula to ensure that the desired outcomes are driving your measurement practices, and your measurement practices are driving the desired outcomes.

A coherent measurement system that works in service of a shared goal is one where:

• Every assessment connects to the content students learn throughout the year and informs system-wide practices. When assessments require students to grapple with the depth and breadth of rigorous state standards, educators have an incentive to use high-quality instructional materials.
• The accountability formula starts with a fair and accurate model for evaluating a district and school’s impact on student outcomes — one that focuses educators on helping every student’s growth. Districts and schools should be accountable for the outcomes that matter most for kids.
• Reporting should include clear report cards, timely data, and alerts when students are off track, as well as recognizing and celebrating exceptional schools and districts. People can only respond to information they have and understand.
• School improvement efforts should focus on identifying districts or schools for support, guiding them through improvement efforts that are grounded in evidence-based practices that align with the state’s academic vision, and tracking progress along the way. States can do more than label the bottom 5% of schools. School improvement is about academics, so what is good for that 5% is probably good for all schools.

3. Am I keeping it simple? Can every parent and educator understand what is being measured?

If I had a choice between perfectly precise measurement and simplicity, I’d choose simplicity every time. Students, parents, teachers, principals, and district leaders should be able to see exactly what is being evaluated and how the state defines its expectations.

What matters most is not the standard error of your results, but whether people understand what the formula is measuring, and to what end. Precision loses its value when it’s so complicated that educators can’t discern what is being asked of them. If they understand what the levers intend to achieve, they are more likely to respond positively to incentives.

A good measurement system doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective, but it does have to reinforce classroom instruction and signal to teachers and students what is important. The phrase “what gets measured gets done” is a double-edged sword: If you measure the right things, you reinforce the right things. If you measure the wrong things, you send mixed signals about what matters most.

Designed with a clear vision for better student outcomes, a plan to pull every lever available, and a simple and clear definition of success, measurement systems don’t just track progress — they help create it.

Let’s Get Muddy

🔗 Want more on measurement? This issue of The Delta from January demystifies collecting data to measure your progress and provides a downloadable rubric: Measurement, but make it less scary

📤 If you’re interested in exploring the full framework, you can download it for free from our website.

📍And if you’re heading to NCSA next week, connect with Jill Zimmerman Pinsky and Andrew S. while you’re there!