Now they tell us. Back during the debate over reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act, many organizations, including NSBA, pushed for including multiple measures of student achievement to more accurately present a picture of student and school success. The Department of Education was opposed, claiming more information would water down “accountability.”
But now the Administration seems supportive of “alternative measures.” The only catch? This sound policy idea is recommended for faith-based schools. It’s part of a new White House report on the dwindling number of faith-based urban schools.
Standardized assessments, however, are not the only way to measure school effectiveness. Faith-based urban schools and those who support them may consider a number of other avenues for evaluating and promoting excellence. For instance, the sector might develop broader indicators of school success (i.e., industry standards), including school safety measures, parental satisfaction figures, graduation rates, data on teacher
quality, and class size information.
Multiple measures. Good for private schools. Not for public schools.
