Educational Indicators in the United States

Educational indicator systems have become a major "business" in the United States. Although its intellectual roots are found in the social indicators movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, its focus today is clearer; its linkages to policy issues are much stronger; and both technicians and policymakers want educational indicator systems to be developed. Educational indicators ap­pear to be something that will remain on the American educational landscape for some time to come.

This article covers five major issues related to educational indicators. First, it makes general comments on what educational indicators are and what in­dicator systems hope to accomplish. Second, it briefly summarizes the major educational indicator initiatives in the United States. Third, it focuses on indicator strategies in California. Fourth, it discusses several key issues related to indicator development and use. Finally, it outlines alternative strategies for mak­ing sense of educational indicators, which seem to be the key missing ingre­dient in educational indicator systems today—at least in the United States.

This article was originally published in the Educational Researcher by the American Educational Research Association and Journal Storage (JSTOR).