A State Perspective on Multiple Measures in School Accountability

Several meanings of the term multiple measures exist. One of these is the use of assessments from different sources, such as an external test, along with a state-developed test. The use of multiple sources is increasing, especially due to increased federal Title I requirements for state accountability programs and associated increases in the amount and costs of mandated testing. Several issues seem pertinent for states considering combining assessments from internal sources (usually criterion-referenced tests) and external sources (usually norm-referenced tests) into their accountability programs. These are explored from the standpoint of the impact of federally required decision making for schools based on test data. Other possible uses are mentioned briefly.