Growth Data: It Matters, and It’s Complicated

Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have committed to measuring and reporting individual student growth under ESSA. This means everyone in those states – from parents to policymakers – will have more information than before on student performance and school quality. But the questions they’ll be able to answer depend on how states measure growth.

This brief explores the different ways states have committed to measuring student growth and what that means for education stakeholders and their understanding of student success.