By David Bielik
As a new school year begins, administrators across the country are setting goals, reviewing policies, and preparing to track student progress. Often, we rely on grades and standardized test scores to measure achievement. But here’s the challenge: are those numbers telling the full story of our students’ success? Imagine a student who earns a B on a math test but also shows tremendous resilience by asking thoughtful questions, collaborating with peers, and steadily improving week by week. How do we capture that growth? What signals are we missing when we reduce success to a single score?
If we want to lead schools where every student can truly thrive, we need to think beyond grades and consider richer, more human-centered measures of success. Here are four alternative metrics you can start tracking this year, with clear action steps and research to back them up.
1. Student –Teacher Interactions
Research consistently shows that strong relationships between students and teachers are among the most powerful predictors of student success. The American Psychological Association highlights that students with positive teacher relationships have higher grades, better test scores, and fewer behavioral challenges (APA). When students feel seen and supported, they are more motivated to learn.
Action steps for administrators:
Prioritize relationship-building in walkthroughs: Add a lens for interactions when observing classrooms. Look for simple but powerful practices like greeting students by name, listening to their ideas, and offering encouragement.
Celebrate connection, not just content: Recognize teachers who go the extra mile to build trust with students, through mentoring, informal check-ins, or family outreach. Even a small acknowledgment in a staff meeting can reinforce the value of these efforts.
Create structures for every student to feel known: Use advisory periods to develop mentorship systems so that each student has at least one trusted adult they can connect with regularly.
2. Student Engagement
Engagement isn’t just about students being on-task, it’s about curiosity, motivation, and ownership of learning. Gallup research shows that engaged students are 2.5 times more likely to say they get excellent grades and 4.5 times more likely to be hopeful about the future compared to their disengaged peers (Gallup).
Action steps for administrators:
Listen to student voices: Regularly collect feedback through short surveys or student panels. Ask questions like: What kinds of assignments make you feel most invested? What helps you stay motivated?
Look for authentic engagement in walkthroughs: Notice if students are asking questions, discussing ideas, and collaborating, or if they’re passively completing tasks.
Support teachers with strategies that boost engagement: Provide PD on project-based learning, cooperative learning, or technology tools that promote interactivity rather than passive consumption.
3. Individual Progress Over Time
Success looks different for every student. A 2022 NWEA study found that when schools emphasize student growth rather than just proficiency, students who start below grade level are more motivated and show stronger long-term academic gains (NWEA). Tracking growth recognizes resilience and effort alongside outcomes.
Action steps for administrators:
Highlight growth in conversations: In team meetings, shift the focus from “Who is proficient?” to “Who is showing meaningful growth?”
Encourage portfolios and student-led conferences: Let students document their own progress in writing, projects, or reflections. This makes growth visible for families too.
Celebrate student growth with the school community: Make a bulletin board that highlights students monthly that have shown individual progress. Highlight a “student of the month” and display the characteristics that they have improved.
4. Social–Emotional Skills
Skills like collaboration, empathy, and self-regulation are critical for success in school and life. A landmark meta-analysis from CASEL found that students in SEL programs show an 11 percentile-point gain in academic performance compared to peers, along with improved behavior and well-being (CASEL).
Action steps for administrators:
Integrate daily SEL practices: Encourage routines like morning meetings, reflection prompts, or “mood check-ins” that build emotional awareness.
Provide SEL-focused professional development: Equip teachers with strategies for embedding SEL skills in academic lessons.
Include SEL in how you define success: Share with families and the community that your school values empathy, resilience, and teamwork as much as test scores.
Shaping Student Success
This year, as you walk your school halls and observe classrooms, consider the question: What kind of success are we celebrating? When we expand our measures beyond test scores and grades, we send students a powerful message, what who they are, how they grow, and how they connect with others truly matters, not just how they “perform”. The way we measure success shapes the way we define it. And the way we define success will shape the kind of future our students believe is possible
The DMC Learning Success Team has over 30 years of combined experience in education, teaching in K-12 settings, and supporting learning success in college/university settings. Drawing from these experiences, DMC is committed to providing resources and tools related to our current work, which involves helping educational partners improve their culture through intentional and scalable solutions.