For more than two decades, states have been required to report publicly on the academic performance of schools and districts. These school rating systems have received increased public attention amid growing concerns about the prevalence and cost of standardized testing in schools. According to a recent Gallup Poll, 64 percent of the public…

This paper is the eighth in a series of reports designed to provide (1) consistent, reliable indicators to allow analysis of trends for each state over time, (2) high data quality for comparability from state to state, and (3) accessible indicator formats aimed toward facilitating use by a variety of audiences. Since its inception, the report has…