Developing a System of Education Indicators: Selecting, Implementing, and Reporting Indicators

Abstract

National and state-level reports on education indicators have been produced since the mid-1980s. However, the debate continues over which education indicators to select and report. This paper outlines the lessons gained by a national organization in building an education indicators system through cooperation with federal and state education agencies. Three issues in the indicator development process are emphasized: (a) the role of a consensus process among educators, researchers, and policymakers in selecting and defining indicators, (b) how education indicators can be produced through a cooperative data system with states, and (c) methods for reporting indicators that increase their usefulness for policymakers and educators.