delbows,
Thanks for posting the link to the full report. This part really struck me:

Quote
Moreover, relatively few states and systems currently put useful and timely data on how individual students are progressing in
the hands of educators and parents. Given the $600 billion
that the United States spends annually on its public school
systems, and the enormous economic stakes riding on
improved student achievement, it is remarkably shortsighted
to invest so little in insights about educational
performance.