For decades, school systems have relied heavily on standardized test scores to evaluate student progress, teacher effectiveness, and even school quality. These scores, often reduced to a single number or ranking, are treated as though they fully capture what students know and can do. Yet parents, educators, and policymakers increasingly recognize the limits of this approach. Test results can provide valuable snapshots, but they are incomplete by nature. They fail to capture creativity, resilience, collaboration, and problem-solving—the very qualities students need to thrive in today’s world. If we are truly committed to preparing students for meaningful lives, we must ask a difficult but necessary question: what does growth actually look like in the broad context of learning? As AJ Crabill and others remind us, if we want to measure what truly matters, we must look far beyond simplistic benchmarks.
The Complexity of Student Learning
Student growth is not linear. A single exam score at one point in time can mask the trajectory of a student’s development. For example, a child who struggles with reading early in elementary school might make extraordinary progress by fifth grade, yet their average score may still place them below proficiency. Conversely, another child might start with strong foundational skills but stagnate due to lack of engagement or challenges in motivation. Without measuring growth over time, systems risk misinterpreting both stories. True accountability requires attention to the nuances of progress—how far students travel, not simply where they land.
Moreover, growth cannot be confined to academics alone. Students are developing socially, emotionally, and cognitively in ways that matter just as much as reading comprehension or algebraic fluency. They are building empathy, learning to manage conflict, cultivating perseverance, and exploring creative expression. These dimensions do not appear on a state exam but shape the trajectory of a student’s future success. To ignore them in accountability frameworks is to ignore the very essence of holistic education.
The Limits of Narrow Accountability
School boards and education leaders often face pressure to demonstrate quantifiable results, and standardized test data conveniently offer numbers that are easy to compare across schools and districts. But this convenience comes at a cost. When tests dominate, schools can begin to “teach to the test,” narrowing the curriculum to focus primarily on what will appear on state assessments. Subjects such as art, music, civic education, and physical wellness may be marginalized, even though they contribute profoundly to a student’s long-term development.
This narrowing can also deepen inequities. Students in under-resourced schools may be drilled endlessly in test preparation, denying them the richer learning experiences that their more privileged peers enjoy. Accountability, in these cases, inadvertently reinforces the very gaps it was meant to close.
Expanding the Definition of Growth
A more comprehensive accountability system must consider multiple measures of student growth. This includes academic indicators beyond test scores, such as growth portfolios, performance-based assessments, project-based learning outcomes, and measures of student engagement. Schools should track whether students are improving in critical thinking, applying knowledge in real-world contexts, and demonstrating the capacity to learn independently.
Equally important is incorporating non-academic indicators. Student well-being, social-emotional skills, and civic readiness are essential for thriving in adulthood. Tracking attendance, persistence in challenging tasks, participation in extracurricular activities, and contributions to school or community life can provide deeper insight into how well schools are cultivating well-rounded individuals. While these measures may not yield simple charts or rankings, they paint a richer and more accurate picture of student growth.
The Role of School Boards in Accountability
School boards play a pivotal role in shaping what gets measured and prioritized in their districts. If boards define success narrowly, focusing solely on test results, then superintendents and principals will align resources accordingly. But if boards redefine success to encompass a broader vision of student growth, then schools can pursue a more holistic approach to teaching and learning.
This requires courage and clarity of purpose. School boards must articulate a vision of student success that reflects the aspirations of their communities. They must ask: do we want our graduates to be test-takers, or do we want them to be problem-solvers, innovators, and citizens prepared to contribute to society? By aligning accountability systems with this vision, boards can ensure that schools are measured by their ability to prepare students for the complexities of modern life.
Building Systems for Holistic Measurement
Creating comprehensive measures of growth is not simple. It requires new tools, professional development, and a culture shift within schools. Teachers must be trained not only to deliver instruction but also to assess student learning in diverse ways. Districts must invest in systems that capture and analyze multiple forms of data, from academic growth portfolios to student climate surveys. Families and communities must be engaged in conversations about what success means and how it should be measured.
Importantly, these efforts should not overwhelm teachers with additional bureaucratic burdens. The goal is to support authentic teaching and learning, not to add layers of compliance. The most effective measures will emerge from practices that already align with good instruction—project-based learning, student-led conferences, reflective portfolios, and performance exhibitions. When schools embed these approaches into daily practice, measurement becomes a natural byproduct of meaningful learning, rather than an external imposition.
Balancing Accountability and Support
Accountability should never be about punishment or blame. Its true purpose is improvement. When schools fall short on test scores, the reaction is often to impose sanctions or labels, which rarely address underlying issues. A more constructive approach is to view accountability as a tool for identifying strengths and challenges, guiding resources where they are most needed, and fostering collaboration across schools.
For instance, if a district discovers that students excel in math problem-solving but struggle with writing, accountability data should drive professional learning, targeted supports, and resource allocation to strengthen literacy. Similarly, if student engagement surveys reveal low levels of belonging or safety, schools should invest in social-emotional programs, mentorship, and inclusive practices. By using accountability as a feedback loop rather than a hammer, systems can create conditions where both students and educators thrive.
Reimagining Success for the Future
The world our students will inherit demands more than proficiency in reading and math. It demands adaptability, critical thinking, and the ability to collaborate across differences. Employers consistently identify skills such as communication, creativity, and teamwork as essential, yet these qualities rarely appear in accountability systems. Preparing students for the future requires aligning measures of success with these demands.
A forward-looking accountability system should ask: are students graduating with the capacity to navigate complexity, to engage in democratic processes, to solve problems that do not yet exist? Are they prepared not only for college or career, but for life in an interconnected, rapidly changing world? Answering these questions requires courage to move beyond test-centric accountability and to embrace a more ambitious, human-centered definition of growth.
Conclusion: The Courage to Measure What Matters
Test scores will always have a role in education, but they cannot be the sole measure of success. When accountability is reduced to numbers on a page, we risk losing sight of the deeper purpose of education—to nurture human potential in all its dimensions.
Building comprehensive measures of student growth is not an optional reform; it is a moral imperative. By expanding our definition of success, investing in diverse measures, and aligning accountability with the full spectrum of student development, we can ensure that schools prepare young people not only to pass tests but to flourish as individuals and citizens.
The challenge before us is clear: we must summon the courage to measure what truly matters. Only then can accountability systems serve their highest purpose—guiding every child toward a future filled with opportunity, resilience, and hope.