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High School Assessment, Accountability, and Data Systems
Academic accountability and assessment systems have been gaining momentum since the mid-1990s, but all states are now putting into place comprehensive accountability systems as they implement the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Under the act's accountability provisions, states must test students annually on their mastery of academic content standards and produce state and school district report cards that inform parents and communities about state and school progress. Schools that do not make progress must take corrective actions and provide additional services to students.
Nationally, there is strong public support for educational accountability systems.1 Although NCLB currently requires testing during the high school years only in the 10th grade, many states are requiring high school exit exams for increased accountability on the secondary school level.
As a result of new assessments, a wealth of new data regarding student performance is now available. States and districts are working to refine systems of data collection and analysis to inform instruction and curriculum choices. Many educators and analysts have expressed particular interest in tracking longitudinal data for individual students to show academic growth from year to year so that incremental progress can be tracked.
The High School Center provides guidance and support for a variety of groundbreaking as well as practical issues related to assessment, accountability, and data systems at the high school level.
Resources on High School Assessment, Accountability, and Data Systems
NCLB and High Schools
This policy brief outlines how NCLB relates to high schools.
Quick Stats Fact Sheet: High Schools in the U.S.
This fact sheet provides information and references on U.S. high school students and high school requirements.
Quick Stats Fact Sheet: High School Students by Region and State
This fact sheet outlines the number of high school students per Regional Comprehensive Center and State.
Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams
This piece from the American Diploma Project presents an in-depth look at high school exit exams to examine how rigorous they are, and how well they align with the knowledge students need to succeed in post-secondary institutions and the workplace.
Student Success: Statewide P-16 Systems
This State Higher Education Executive Officers report describes how state and local leaders from around the United States have developed and implemented successful strategies to increase student achievement in their schools. It also emphasizes the importance of an integrated educational system in obtaining positive student outcomes from preschool to grade 16.
Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) have developed a Tool Kit that provides the most current information -- including research briefs and resources designed to improve instruction, assessment, and accountability -- for students with disabilities that assists state personnel, schools, and families in their efforts to ensure that all students with disabilities receive a quality education.
1 Education Week. "Reality Check 2002." Available from www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2002/03/06/25realitycheck.h21.html. Posted March 6, 2002.
