The Council of the Great City Schools recently released two new reports focusing on key academic performance indicators and operational management.

Academic Key Performance Indicators Report 2019 is an update of the Council’s pilot report that was released in 2017. The set of academic key performance indicators in the 2019 report are designed to measure the progress among the Council’s membership toward improving the academic outcomes for students and include the following:

• Ninth grade algebra completion
• Ninth graders failing one or more core courses
• Ninth graders with a GPA of B or better
• Number of high school students enrolled in advanced placement
• AP exam scores of 3 or higher
• Number of high school students enrolled in AP-equivalent courses
• Four-year high school graduation rate
• Five-year high school graduation rate
• Percent of students with 20 days or more absent from school
• Instructional days per student missed per year due to suspension
• Percent of students identified as needing special education, and
• Percent of students placed in each general education setting by percent of time

The new report presents an updated set of data through school year 2017-18 and provides a number of different ways that Council member districts can analyze the data themselves by disaggregating results, showing trends, and combining variables.

In addition to the report, a companion online dashboard was released that will enable Council member school districts to conduct several comparisons and analysis beyond what is presented in the Academic Key Performance report. Council member districts may access the dashboard at: edwires.org

Managing for Results in America’s Great City Schools 2019 is an update of the Council’s annual report on performance measures that could be used to improve business operations in urban school districts, such as information technology, human resources and budget and finance.