Allen County Research Project

Better Together: How inclusive design impacts understanding, ownership, and engagement in assessment and accountability innovation

Research
Details

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62137/LEII9238

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Download Appendix A

Publish Date: 10/02/2025

Authors:

Center for Innovation in Education (C!E)
University of Kentucky

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Download Appendix B

Download Appendix C

“I wish all of our legislators could see this work because I think it would change their mind about assessment… that it is not a test score that defines [our students], but it's the work like this…. I would want them to see this work and to understand that it's for all students. At all levels, all students.”

– Teacher, Allen County-Scottsville High School

This report explores how Allen County Schools' community-engaged approach to local assessment and accountability redesign is changing the district’s relationship with its community. Using a mixed-methods approach, we sought to understand whether the district had systematically collaborated with diverse stakeholders – especially those historically held farthest from decision-making tables – in its project-based learning, performance assessment, and accountability reforms.

And if so, what is the impact on community-facing outcomes like stakeholder engagement, local ownership, trust, and satisfaction?

Our findings are relevant beyond Allen County, offering insights to policymakers and education leaders in other contexts who are pursuing major systems change. Especially in today’s federal policy landscape, education leaders need to understand what leadership actions can help reframe accountability away from a top-down compliance exercise that happens because of distrust; and toward a community-engaged process that builds trust.

Led by Center for Innovation in Education, in partnership with University of Kentucky researchers and Allen County-Scottsville High School youth researchers.

Funded by the EuDream K-12 Research for Equity Hub.

Engaged more than 700 Allen County stakeholders in surveys, interviews, focus groups, and narrative capture during the 2024-2025 school year.

Co-designed and collaboratively analyzed with diverse members of the ACS community, including students, parents, teachers, school administrators, coaches, district leadership, and business and community leaders.

Quick Facts

Finding:

Researching the extent of inclusion, co-creation, and reciprocity between the district and its community is a process that, in itself, supports local accountability and durable systems change.

Recommendation:

Federal and philanthropic research programs should incentivize and fund research (especially youth-led research and research-practice partnerships) studying how systems change processes impact the relationship between schools systems and the communities they serve.

Research Strengthens Local Accountability

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Finding:

The hands-on, learner-centered nature of Allen County’s assessment and accountability reform was integral to its positive impact on the district-community relationship.

Recommendation:

Federal, state, and local policy should prioritize assessment and accountability reforms that are learner-centered, hands-on, and performance-based.

Learner-Centered Reforms Engage Communities

3

Finding:

Systems change is long and complex, but it is bolstered by gaining buy-in and commitment from across stakeholder groups.

Recommendation:

Policymakers should support inclusive design in reform efforts by providing funding and time needed to effect deep levels of systems change.

Buy-In Supports Systems Change

2

Finding:

Using habits of inclusion, empathy, co-creation, and reciprocity with stakeholders to redesign systems of assessment and accountability increased stakeholder trust, satisfaction, and local ownership of reform.

Recommendation:

Education leaders should use inclusive processes to redesign systems of assessment and accountability to ensure alignment to community values, gain buy-in, and increase sustainability and scaling. Leaders can start small by deeply listening to stakeholders, moving toward more comprehensive processes like creating diverse coalitions, design teams, or steering committees to support co-creation with community stakeholders.

Inclusive Practices Build Trust and Confidence

1

KEY FINDINGS

When people were empowered by the district to participate in decision-making, their sense of ownership and personal commitment increased significantly more than when they were informed (told about something) or included (asked their opinion).

Across students and adult stakeholders, when ACS staff engaged them with empathy (“heart to heart”) instead of just ‘head to head,” they grew significantly in their trust and confidence in the district, their satisfaction with the district’s direction, and their sense of personal commitment to helping the schools succeed.

When asked how they feel about the district’s movement toward project-based learning and performance assessments, 4 out of 5 high school students were supportive. 86% said that PBL makes it easier for them to learn, and a similar number said that it makes them more of a problem solver.

A majority of ACS parents feel that they have a say about what happens in their schools.

59%

ACS parents feel personally committed to helping the district improve their schools (93% agree or strongly agree).

Overwhelmingly, ACS parents feel that the district’s goals and priorities match their personal goals and priorities for their child’s education (96% agree or strongly agree).

DATA POINTS

We are having the conversations with business owners and with industry leaders that, you know, we are not just educating students in the 3 Rs anymore. We are wanting to prepare them for the workplace and to make them the students that we want, yes, but also employees that you're looking for. It has really formed a great bond and partnership, and actually caused them to be involved more in our school. [They ask,] ‘How can we help? How can we be involved? What can we do?

Central Office Staff and former Principal, Allen County Schools

Key Quotes

The community has always felt a tremendous amount of ownership over athletics. ...What I think we have to work toward is letting the community feel that same level of ownership over the academic output, and over the pedagogy that occurs. And I think that as we continue to engage the community about more than, ‘Hey, would you like to sponsor the football booster club?’ – and we instead turn that around to be, ‘Hey, would you like to participate in a defense of learning?’... [It will] really help everyone to have more ownership of the process.

Business/community member

This [initiative] has changed my perspective. ...[My son] came to me and said, ‘You know, Dad, I don't think I want to go to a 4 year college. I actually want to own my own business and be a plumber and electrician.” …The old piece of me was like, ’Are you crazy?’ But because of the opportunities that he's been given, and because of a change in mindset for me, I'm like, you know, we're going to allow him to show his genius in whatever way is best for him. And I don't know that I would have done that if I hadn't been exposed to project-based learning and this type of assessment system where we really get at the heart of a kid's desire, and we really start to look at the avenues that present themselves for the kid to really be successful in life.

Parent