Source:100 Page PDF file from School redesign Network

Multiple Measures Approaches to High School Graduation

April, 2005

Executive Summary

Multiple Measures Approaches to High School Graduation provides an in-depth examination of 27 states currently using multiple measures assessments to determine student eligibility for high school graduation. Multiple measures assessments differ from single-test assessments in that they consider a variety of student work, which may include student academic records, research papers, portfolios, essays, capstone projects and oral exams. The report’s key findings:

• States that use multiple measures assessments for graduation tend to have higher student test scores and higher graduation rates, and produce student who are better prepared for today’s workforce and for higher education. Multiple measures approach allows for an in-depth, individualized assessment of the kinds of high-performance skills demanded by colleges, business, and employers.
• Problem-solving, research, writing, experimentation, leadership, collaboration, communication, presentation of ideas, and managing multiple and extensive project are among the essential indicators of college and work preparedness that cannot be assessed by a single standardized test with multiple choice items, but can be demonstrated through a multiple-measure approach, using a range of performance assessments.
• Multiple measures assessments also provide more comprehensive and timely diagnostic feedback on student achievement for teachers, who can use the results of ongoing assessments throughout the academic year to inform their planning and instruction.

The report concludes that for states and districts, a multiple measures approach to high school graduation offers a more balanced and informative platform for holding students and schools accountable, one that stimulates discussion not only about how to improve curriculum and instruction, but also how to monitor a student’s individual growth and progress, improve preparedness for college, and build readiness for work in the future.

CONCLUSION

Multiple measures systems of high school graduation have the potential to strengthen curriculum and instruction by drawing attention to state standards, evaluating the full range of standards in valid and appropriate ways, providing rich information about student learning that is useful to classroom teachers, and providing diverse means for students to demonstrate their learning.

States have begun to develop thoughtful and creative approaches to the challenge of raising standards for graduation and assessing standards wisely. As they have developed new policy frameworks for assessment, several key elements of strong systems have begun to emerge. Together these four elements — diverse state and local assessments that include multiple measures of student performance; appropriate alternatives that allow all students to demonstrate their knowledge and encourage them to stay in school; local performance assessments that are developed with state support, and a process for review and improvement of local assessment systems — can stimulate more thoughtful teaching, an engine for ongoing improvement and professional development, and a commitment to standards that shape more powerful learning.

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Last modified: April 20, 2005

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