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ESSA’s Fifth Indicator: A NASBE Policy Update Series


The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) paved the way for states to create holistic accountability systems that measure school quality and student success by means other than academic test scores. States incorporated a variety of “fifth indicators” in state plans they submitted this spring for review by the U.S. Department of Education, while others are weighing which indicators to include in their fall submission.

This NASBE policy update series explores the pros and cons of five frequently discussed indicators. It highlights what states have proposed in their ESSA plans so far and offers key considerations for state boards that are refining their plans for September submission.

From this series:

Career and Technical Education
School Climate and Student Discipline
Social and Emotional Learning
Chronic Absenteeism
Access to High-Level Course Work


Career and Technical Education

School Climate and School Discipline

Social and Emotional Learning

Chronic Absenteeism

Accessing High-Level Coursework



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  • States Set Sights on Growth of Low-Performing Students

    With the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states can include a student growth indicator as a measure of school quality in their accountability systems. Most of them do. Nine states also saw this as an opportunity and added a separate growth measure for the bottom quartile and quintile of students.

  • Building on State ESSA Plans

    After submitting their plans for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2017, states face challenges in ensuring the implementation of their plans keep faith with the spirit of ESSA.

  • Flexibility for Streamlining Tests

    States can take advantage of existing funding and new ESSA guidance to ensure the quality of their assessment frameworks. This policy update highlights two states—Illinois and Tennessee—that have taken the initiative to evaluate their systems.



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