California’s Education Reform: Embracing Growth Models for Better Accountability
For over two decades, accountability has been a cornerstone of California’s educational reform efforts. Despite this, the state has long faced criticism for failing to incorporate a measure of student achievement growth into its accountability system. The absence of a student-level growth model in California’s current approach, as seen in the California School Dashboard, has raised concerns about the accuracy of assessing school effectiveness in improving student achievement. As a professor at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, I have closely followed the state’s progress in this area and am pleased to see recent developments that signal a positive shift towards adopting growth models.
The Importance of Growth Models in Education
Student-level growth models play a crucial role in evaluating school performance by directly comparing students to themselves over time. By assessing how much individual children are learning each year and comparing this progress across schools and established benchmarks, growth models offer a more nuanced understanding of educational outcomes. In contrast, the current method used by California, which focuses on the difference in average performance levels between years, may not accurately reflect school effectiveness, especially in cases where there are enrollment changes over time, such as those experienced during the pandemic.
Furthermore, growth models have the potential to identify schools that are often overlooked for their achievements with underserved student groups. By providing more accurate signals to stakeholders, including parents, policymakers, and the State Department of Education, growth models can help determine which schools require additional support to enhance student outcomes. Despite being one of the last states, alongside Kansas, to incorporate a growth model in its accountability system, California’s recent efforts to integrate this approach into the California School Dashboard represent a significant step forward.
Challenges and Opportunities for Improvement
While the inclusion of growth model results in the dashboard is a positive development, there are areas where the state can further enhance the transparency and accessibility of this information. Currently, the data on growth model results are not prominently displayed on the landing page for individual schools, making it challenging for the average user to locate them. To address this issue, the State Board of Education should prioritize making the growth model results more visible and readily available to all stakeholders.
Additionally, the state should consider revising the methodology used to calculate schools’ dashboard ratings by replacing the change score with growth model results. This shift would provide a more accurate representation of school effectiveness, particularly in light of the impact of student mobility and compositional changes on traditional change scores. By emphasizing growth models in the evaluation process, California can better reflect the contributions of schools in supporting student learning throughout the academic year.
Looking Ahead
As an educator and researcher, I believe that adopting growth models is a positive step towards improving data transparency and accountability in California’s education system. By prioritizing the use of growth model results and addressing technical issues related to data presentation, the state can enhance the overall utility of the California School Dashboard for parents and stakeholders. While there is still room for improvement, the adoption of growth models signals a commitment to continuous enhancement in the state’s education accountability systems. I am hopeful that this change is just the beginning of a series of improvements that will benefit California’s students and families.
In conclusion, the integration of growth models in California’s school performance measurement marks a significant milestone in the state’s education reform efforts. By embracing data-driven approaches to accountability and emphasizing student growth, California is taking a proactive stance towards improving educational outcomes for all students. As we navigate the evolving landscape of education, it is essential to prioritize transparency, accuracy, and equity in our assessment practices to ensure that every child receives the support and resources they need to succeed.
