School Board Newsletter: State Accountability Results Presented

State accountability systems publish ratings and designations for every school in the state. These results are public, and families who want to find them can. The question for the board is whether to communicate them proactively with context or let families encounter them without guidance. Proactive communication with honest context is almost always better for community trust than leaving families to interpret ratings alone.

Describe the state accountability system

Open with a brief description of the state's accountability system: what it measures, how ratings are produced, and where families can find their school's full report card. Many families are not familiar with how state accountability systems work. A brief orientation helps them evaluate the results in context.

Report the district's overall performance

State the district's overall rating or designation and how it compares to the prior year. Note the key indicators that drove the overall rating: assessment results, graduation rates, attendance, English learner progress, and any other indicators the state uses.

Report school-level results

Present each school's rating or designation alongside the district's. Note schools that received recognition for strong performance. Note schools that received lower ratings or formal improvement designations. Families at specific schools need school-specific information, and the district newsletter is the appropriate source for that context.

Explain the ratings for schools in improvement status

For schools identified for additional support or formal improvement under the state system, describe what that designation means and what supports are being provided. Families at those schools need to understand what the designation entails and what the district is doing in response.

Describe the board's response to the results

Tell families how the board responded when these results were presented. What directions were given to the superintendent? What improvement strategies are being prioritized? What resources are being directed to lower-performing schools? A board that responds visibly to accountability data is governing; one that receives data without visible response is not.

Link to school report cards and the full accountability report

Include a link to individual school report cards and the full district accountability report. Daystage gives district communications teams a professional newsletter platform for delivering state accountability summaries that serve as a bridge between complex state rating systems and the families who need to understand what they mean for their children's schools.