State officials in Connecticut are seeking to broaden the measurement of school performance—often criticized for overreliance on test scores—to include the arts, civics, physical fitness, attendance, and qualities such as student persistence and personal development.
The new approach is still in development, but state officials want to complete it in time to submit it for approval to the U.S. Department of Education by the end of March as part of the state’s request to renew its waiver under the No Child Left Behind Act. If all goes as planned, the new system will begin to be rolled out in June.
State officials said the number of Advanced Placement classes available and the number of students enrolled in them could figure into a school’s rating, as could the number of students who go on to college or other postsecondary programs and complete them.
