Improving Measurement Systems to Drive Implementation

State education agencies have long been uniquely positioned to lead the American education system. Today, as ever before, we need to act urgently to critically examine our educational systems and how they can best serve students to meet their needs.

State education agencies hold immense power to drive change, and change is needed now more than ever, as demonstrated by the most recent NAEP results. State measurement systems must be cohesive, rigorous, and responsive in order to best support and drive change. However, too often, assessment, accountability, reporting, and school improvement are seen as separate systems, leading to an incoherent, ineffective, and undemanding experience for students. From our experience as former state leaders and supporting states across the country, we believe good measurement does not just reflect performance, it drives it. These four enabling conditions must work together to reinforce a state’s core academic vision for students.

This playbook is rooted in our philosophy here at Watershed — making the right thing to do, the easy thing to do. As you consider adjusting or overhauling your measurement system, we hope this playbook is of value to you.