Pathways to new accountability through the Every Student Succeeds Act

This paper examines the options available to states to redefine their accountability systems as they begin to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The new law provides the possibility that states can create more balanced systems of support and accountability focused on educating young people so they can become productive, engaged citizens who are prepared for 21st century college and careers. The authors examine these possibilities, beginning with an overview of the law’s requirements, including its allowances for indicators of school progress, methods of identifying schools for support and intervention, and requirements for the use of evidence-based interventions. They then look more closely at the range of indicators that might be considered in a multiple measures accountability system as evidence of learning, opportunities to learn, and student engagement. Next they discuss how these indicators might be combined to identify schools for intervention and support, and how they could be used within a continuous improvement system that also examines school practices through school visits and observations. The paper closes with a discussion of research supporting evidence-based interventions that may be worth considering to support school improvement in a new accountability system.