On Track or Falling Behind? How States Include Measures of 9th Grade Performance in Their ESSA Plans

Achieve, Inc. 1775 Eye Street NW Suite 410, Washington, DC 20006. Tel: 202-419-1540; Fax: 202-828-0911; Web site: http://www.achieve.org

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Statewide Planning; State Policy; Educational Policy; Program Implementation; Federal Legislation; Educational Legislation; Accountability; Data Collection; Educational Assessment; Grade 9; Academic Achievement; Educational Indicators; Learner Engagement; At Risk Students; Identification; Graduation Requirements

Alaska; Arkansas; Connecticut; Delaware; Illinois; Maryland; Massachusetts; Nevada; Oregon; Washington; West Virginia; Louisiana

There is a growing body of research that suggests the first year of high school is a critical transition point for students. It also finds course-taking and successful completion of those courses in 9th grade to be valuable predictors of students' success in high school. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides states an opportunity to rethink their accountability and data systems, and states now have an opportunity to incorporate other measures of student achievement, including those that are traditionally part of state early warning systems. Some states have taken the lead in considering early warning systems as they have developed their ESSA plans, and are including on track to graduation as an accountability indicator. Another small group of states collects on-track data, and publicly reports it, but stops short of including it in the federal accountability system. This brief summarizes where states are in using these indicators and incorporating them into their new accountability systems.

ERIC

2019

ED591914