Why Measuring Student Academic Progress is Important

Consider this example:

Johnny is scoring above state and federal proficiency levels, but is experiencing less than expected academic growth. Suzy isn’t meeting academic standards, but she is making significant growth for the year and making progress in the right direction.

To date, most state accountability systems annually evaluate a school’s success based on the average achievement level of students at each grade. In this type of system, Johnny and his school would be considered successful, while Suzy and her school would be below standard.

Accountability systems must recognize both student achievement and the progress students make each year.