Leading Indicator Spotlight Series

“Leading indicators” in education — as in economics — can provide early signs of progress toward academic achievement and help education leaders make informed decisions to improve student learning — before the test results come in. The Leading Indicator Spotlight series of research briefs is designed to accompany the research report Beyond Test Scores: Leading Indicators for Education. The series highlights three of the most useful and accessible indicators identified in the report — early reading proficiency, algebra enrollment and achievement, and the use of college and pre-college admission test scores for high school placement — and describes how they are being used by the four districts to assess their students and then connect them to critical supports. Each brief examines one of these indicators in detail: how research supports its use, how it is measured, and how schools and districts act on it for intervention and reform.