Issue:

As interest in school accountability has increased, policymakers, legislators, and corporate leaders, have determined that school ratings are an effective and necessary tool for parents, students, and other stakeholders to determine whether schools are performing to expectations. These ratings are often developed by using a single test or criterion.

MASSP Guiding Principles:

• School ratings are limited in that they present a "snapshot in time" which may not be an accurate assessment of a
• School ratings should include the most complete information available and should not be limited to any one statistic or benchmark (e.g., test scores).
  
• Information or data used to measure the success of a school should be utilized as a diagnostic tool to determine what resources and changes are necessary to help improve student performance.
  
• Considerations should be given to otgher major factors, which influence student achievement. These major factors may include: socio-economic status, school resources and finances, certified staff, transit population, parent satisfaction and community satisfaction.
  

Recommendations:

• Ensure that any and all information used to assess schools is research-based, accurate, reliable, and up-to-date.
  
• Provide a more complete picture of a school's ability to deliver quality services by including multiple indicators of school progress (e.g., percentage of graduates attending post-secondary education/training, recognizing state licensure programs, student-teacher ratio, professional development).
  
• Include categories in every school-based assessment that reflects the infrastructure and resources available to that school such as funding levels, and teacher certification levels.
  
• Provide school-based longitudinal data in order to identify improvement or weakening of a school's status; in turn, use the information as a diagnostic tool to identify areas of need and focus resources and assistance where required.
  
• Use school data to improve, not punish, low-performing schools.
  
• Discourage ranking schools in order, from best to worst based on academic achievement.

Approved by MASSP Board of Directors November 26, 2001