Dive Brief:
- In California, six districts have created their own unique accountability system called the School Quality Index, taking into consideration much more than students' academic performance — and the systems is now being followed by other districts nationwide as they search for ways to measure accountability.
- Three of the six districts, known collectively as the California Office for Reforming Education (CORE) districts, are among the largest in the state: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Fresno.
- One unique exercise executed by CORE districts is the matching of the worst-performing schools with the highest-performing ones for knowledge sharing and cooperation, a collaborative effort aiming to mitigate poor student learning and inspire school-to-school cooperation.
Dive Insight:
With the new Every Student Succeeds Act returning power over oversight and accountability measures back to states, it's no surprise that some are looking to places like California, which has also been noted for its success with rolling out Common Core, for models. ESSA now requires the incorporation of at least one indicator that isn't academic, and the CORE model showcases several that could be used. API rankings are also going the way of the typewriter in the state — a move teacher unions seem to support.
Results of the experimental CORE district's School Quality Improvement System blended index are expected to be released this February.