COLLEGE READINESS INDICATOR SYSTEMS - Selecting Effective Indicators - A Technical Guide to College Readiness Indicators

Oct 15, 2026

College Readiness Indicator Systems: Selecting Effective Indicators presents a technical guide for districts aiming to build practical indicator systems that support college readiness. It explains why indicators must be part of a system linking data to decision rules, reporting tools, capacity building, and student supports. Drawing on experience from the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research, it outlines criteria for effective indicators and highlights how to focus on high-leverage measures tied to later college outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

A New Framework for Promoting College Readiness

Menu of College Readiness Indicators and Supports

Selecting Effective Indicators

A Technical Guide to College Readiness Indicators

Effective Indicators Are Part of a System

Four Characteristics of Effective Indicators

MAY 2014 COLLEGE READINESS INDICATOR SYSTEMS Selecting Effective Indicators The University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research Introduction A New Framework for Promoting College Readiness Menu of College Readiness Indicatorsand Supports Selecting Effective Indicators A Technical Guide to College Readiness Indicators District Self-Assessment Tool Essential Elements in Implementation RESOURCES E R I E S The use of data to inform decisionmaking and practice at the school and district levels is now a common feature of reform efforts. Advances in districts’ technological capacities have produced data systems that allow a flow of data to and from schools, often to the point of creating an overwhelming flood of information. To make the flow of information usable, it is critical that it is accompanied by clear decision rules on how to organize, interpret, and act on the data and the information they provide. Increasingly, schools and districts are turning to indicators to narrow the flow of data to the factors that truly matter for student success. Although in principle anything that can be quantified can be used as an indicator, effective indicators provide a signal of a later outcome. Effective indicators can be used to identify students who are likely to achieve (or fail to achieve) an outcome, orto highlight actionable leverage points for altering that outcome.* For college readiness indicators, it becomes particularly important to identify actionable leverage points because the outcome they are intended to predict—college success—occurs after the students have left high school. In other words, identifying which students are likely to complete college is only a starting point. This resource is intended to guide district administrators as they consider what indicators to include in their indicator systems and how to focus their efforts to improve students’ college readiness. It describes four characteristics of effective indicators, drawing on the work of the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research (UChicago CCSR) with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) . CPS used evidence from research to guide the development of two separate indicator systems: the on-track indicator for high school graduation and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion indicator system for college enrollment. These experiences provide valuable lessons for other districts as they develop their own college readiness indicator systems. Effective Indicators Are Part of a System The effectiveness of indicators in isolation is limited; they need to be a part of an indicator system if they are to change outcomes. An indicator system links indicators to action and includes tools for reporting indicators and tracking progress; supports for building the capacity of adults to access, understand, and act upon the indicators; and strategies, supports, and interventions for the students identified by the indicators. The power of an indicator system is that it can take messy, seemingly overwhelming problems (such as getting students to graduate * Indicators can be used for other purposes such as tracking progress, holding schools accountable for improvement, or signaling priorities. This article focuses on indicators that are intended to predict a future outcome. from high school and persist in college) and focus attention on the factors that have the highest leverage for improving outcomes through school strategies and intervention, or on the students who are most in need of intervention. Embedded in an indicator system, indicators do more than merely provide information; they become a common point of reference for making decisions, focusing efforts, and monitoring progress. Effective indicator systems bring How to cite this document: University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research. (2014). Selecting effective indicators. College Readiness Indicator Systems Resource S

FAQs

Why must college readiness indicators be part of a broader indicator system?

Indicators work best when linked to action, including reporting tools, progress tracking, adult capacity-building, and student supports tied to the identified students.

How do effective indicators narrow overwhelming information for decision-making?

They focus attention on factors that truly matter for student success and provide a signal of later outcomes, helping districts interpret data and act on it using clear decision rules.

What does the guide emphasize about using indicators to improve college outcomes?

It stresses targeting actionable leverage points because college success occurs after high school, so identifying which students are likely to complete college is only a starting point.

Oct 15, 2026

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