Accountability with measurements and standards for students and teachers is a major concern from a business and taxpayer perspective. If our region is to be known for its strong public school system, the public needs to understand accountability and how our students are performing and ensure that the education community's focus is on raising student achievement.

The Business Roundtable for Education has been engaged for over ten years in improving the quality of education through our core initiatives and by leveraging resources. We set out initially to improve student achievement by moving the target of the K-12 education system from measuring inputs to measuring progress over time. The Roundtable advocated systemic changes within the educational system necessary to improve performance and to monitor and assess progress. In these initial policy objectives, the Roundtable has made substantial progress. Policymakers now agree on the need for high standards of academic achievement for all students, meaningful assessment tools to measure progress in meeting those standards and accountability for results applicable to all students, teachers and schools.

There still is a long way to go, however, before we see education performance in San Diego that meets or exceeds the best in the world. The Roundtable continues to make a measurable contribution to this issue by drawing upon our 130-member businesses’ considerable policy influence, extensive philanthropic activities and strong employee base to build our schools’ capacity to help students meet higher standards.

We consider issues of accountability in education a high priority. At present, we have two separate accountability projects underway in addition to our work with the CA Longitudinal Pupil Achievement System (CALPADS) and our advocacy efforts on behalf of longitudinal matched data as an essential element in local districts accountability plans.

The Data Analysis and Accountability Project (a 3-year project) includes:

• Analysis of current system of assessment to determine baseline capacity (what data are collected, how are they used)
• Preliminary identification process with school staff on internal data needs (what data are still needed, what analyses of existing and additional data would be useful)
• Identification process on external data needs
• Collection of data on demographic, achievement, teacher quality, finance, and school climate
• Selection of software program and compilation of data into accessible database
• Organization of data into accessible reports
• Training of Data Analyst and Accountability Team to use a range of instruments and measures

Through the process, schools will be able to disaggregate and analyze both process measures and outcome measures and be able to monitor the school’s inputs, processes and outcomes using data. Each school will also be able to develop an improvement plan at the school and classroom level, set achievement goals, and link the plan and achievement goals.

• Use data-based inquiry as the foundation for an inquiry process to address both internal and external accountability needs and to be able to make use of data-based inquiry to improve student learning
• Have Data Analyst and Accountability Team trained in data analysis techniques for school collected data
• Understand the school’s strengths and areas for development based on quantitative data and have a process for using data (both fiscal and academic) to make school wide decisions
• Have in place a school wide accountability system with achievement goals and an improvement plan for the school
• Track progress of improvement strategies
• Analyze results of data analysis and produce processes to modify instructional and programmatic decisions based on results.

1999 and 2000 Relative Progress Index Scores for Grades 3, 4 and 5 in Reading and Math for San Diego Unified School District schools are available.

 

RPI U-T Article (U-T 1/25/01) "A Better Way is Needed to Measure Academic Progress in Our Schools" (Article on RPI) RPI Studies (Overview of RPI) RPI-1999 (RPI Data) RPI-2000 (RPI Data)

Contact:  Tyler Cramer Law Offices of Tyler W Cramer 3043 Fourth Avenue San Diego, CA 92103-5801 Phone: (619) 236-1125 Fax: (619) 232-1042