BRIDGING ACCOUNTABILITY AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ROAD MAP FOR STATE EDUCATION AGENCIES - The Council of Chief State School Officers

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle

Report from the Council of Chief State School Officers outlining how state education agencies can integrate accountability and school improvement systems to strengthen student outcomes. It explains how accountability signals priorities, sets targets, identifies schools needing support, and provides timely actionable information, while improvement systems use evidence-based interventions and aligned resources. The roadmap addresses how states can update indicators, improve coherence, monitor impact, overcome coordination obstacles, and sustain continuous improvement aligned to federal and supplemental initiatives.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

The Road Map

Organizing for Impact

Measuring What Matters

Understanding School Needs

Planning for Improvement

Monitoring for Impact

Sustaining School Improvement

Conclusion

BRIDGING ACCOUNTABILITY AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ROAD MAP FOR STATE EDUCATION AGENCIES THE COUNCIL OF CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of War Education Activity, Bureau of Indian Education, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public. For more information, [visit ccsso.org](visit ccsso.org). Chris Reykdal (Washington), President Carissa Moffat Miller, Chief Executive Officer CCSSO is grateful to Collaboratives advisors Chris Domaleski and Laura Pinsonneault from the Center for Assessment and Carlas McCauley of Howard University for their support in developing this report. This report is based on research funded by the Gates Foundation. The findingsand conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of the Gates Foundation. Council of Chief State School Officers One Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20001 [www.ccsso.org](www.ccsso.org) 2026 CCSSO. Bridging Accountability and School Improvement: Road Map for State Education Agencies is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4 .0: [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1) CONTENTS The Road Map .......................................................................................................................................................4 Organizing for Impact ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Measuring What Matters ...............................................................................................................................9 Understanding School Needs .................................................................................................................. 13 Planning for Improvement ........................................................................................................................ 15 Monitoring for Impact ...................................................................................................................................18 Sustaining School Improvement ..........................................................................................................20 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................ 22 2026 CCSSO. Bridging Accountability and School Improvement: Road Map for State Education Agencies is licensed under a 1 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4 .0: [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1) INTRODUCTION Accountability and school improvement systems are valuable levers to advance state priorities and improve student outcomes. As part of a comprehensive vision for student success, accountability and school improvement systems can bolster efforts to provide students with high-quality learning experiences and target resources and supports to the lowest-performing schools.1 A growing number of states are updating their accountability systems or refining their approach to school improvement to better align with their vision for student success. This includes changes to school accountability indicators, creating more coherent school improvement supports2 or considering opportunitie

FAQs

What purposes do state accountability systems serve?

They signal priorities and performance targets, identify schools needing support, incentivize effective local practices and supports, provide timely actionable information, and build public trust and engagement.

How do school improvement systems leverage accountability and other data sources?

They use accountability and relevant data to target resources, supports, and evidence-based interventions, improving understanding of needs and root causes and guiding implementation toward better practice and outcomes.

What challenges can undermine coordination between accountability and school improvement systems?

Obstacles to effective coordination can create incoherent incentives and fragmented guidance and supports for schools and districts.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle