Addressing Data Gaps During a Pandemic

We need great, innovative schools that can meet the unique and diverse needs of students across the country. As schools navigate learning during COVID-19, all schools, charter authorizers, and states must measure school quality more broadly—not just during the pandemic, but beyond.    

NACSA’s new accountability guidance paper and accompanying resources provide practical guidance and best practices for authorizers and charter schools on prioritizing student success. This resource suite is the result of NACSA’s work alongside authorizers and other stakeholders to transform what authorizing can look like in the near- and long-term. 

At NACSA, we believe that continuing to use assessments and data to identify opportunity gaps, helps authorizers measure progress towards our commitment to educational equity. During the 2020-21 school year, and perhaps beyond, states and authorizers should require robust, baseline assessments in order to identify where to target additional resources and support.  

Additionally, these challenging times present a moment for authorizers and educators to reflect on what the future of student success should look like. Standardized tests have never provided a complete picture of excellence. A school’s goal should not just be to help a child survive in the world post-graduation, but to thrive. That level of quality must be measured more broadly to develop a more comprehensive picture of how kids are doing.  

Together, we can ensure that students continue to learn and achieve, no matter the circumstance; and that we uphold high standards while pushing ourselves to define learning in more expansive, innovative, and effective ways. 

Access our new resources:

• Addressing Data Gaps During a Pandemic: How Authorizers Can Continue To Hold Charter Schools To High Standards 
• Addressing Data Gaps During a Pandemic: A Toolkit for Authorizers (AuthoRISE)
• Addressing Data Gaps During a Pandemic: A Workbook for Authorizers (AuthoRISE)

Visit AuthoRISE—NACSA’s comprehensive digital learning community—to access the full resource suite as well as other resources to strengthen your authorizing practices. 

Anyone can access all of our new COVID-19 resources in AuthoRISE by emailing [email protected] and requesting a login. 

This resource was developed by and in collaboration with: Amy Ruck Kagan, NACSA; Veronica Brooks-Uy, NACSA; Amanda Fenton, NACSA; Sharonda Bossier, Education Leaders of Color; Robbyn Wahby, Missouri Charter Public School Commission; Kelli Peterson, NOLA Public Schools; Jana Wilcox Lavin, Opportunity 180; David Frank, New York State Education Department (NYSED); Kathryn Mullen Upton, Fordham Institute; Jennifer Schiess, Bellwether Education Partners; Ashley LiBetti, Bellwether Education Partners; Sara Mead, Bellwether Education Partners;  Angie McPhaul, Denver Public Schools; Caroline Roemer, Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools; Naomi DeVeaux, National Charter School Institute