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In this post, we share just a few examples of data – featured at MCIEA’s 2019 policy forum on “The New Accountability” – that help to portray the full measure of schools.

Debates about whether a school ought to be closed overlook fundamental questions. Are the metrics used to measure schools reasonable? What makes us think that these are the measures that best capture what matters most? And how can we justify turning away from the testimonies of students, teachers, and families who know, love, and fight for these schools?

Data are common currency in education, with states collecting reams of information each year about students, teachers, schools and districts. But having a lot of data doesn’t mean much if repositories aren’t being used to improve schools and classrooms for all students. MCIEA has an indication that better data can change the narrative about schools and communities.

"Reducing schools to a single number obscures both what they are best at and what they need to improve upon."

To help build a more comprehensive system for measuring school quality that goes beyond test scores, the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Educational Assessment asked people who had a close-up view of what happens day-to-day in schools – teachers, principals, district administrators, family members, and students – what made a good school.

Let's take a look back at our most popular blog posts of 2017.

Higher test scores do not necessarily equate to quality schools. James Noonan shows how using standardized tests as the singular gauge for school quality affects school and residential segregation.