This paper has identified the pervasive influence that measurement-based systems of accountability have had on our schools, and has identified a range of areas where there is little public focus on the work that schools do, despite the importance of this work for students and for society. Going back to the original purposes of public schooling, or looking forward to learning for an unknown future, it is clear that schools have a broad social role. For schools to perform these roles as well as possible - and to learn from the successes that are taking place today - it is important to foster public dialogue about what we want our schools to be doing and about how we can know if what we envision is actually occurring, or at least if progress is being made. There is clear evidence that what schools do can make a big difference in supporting the strengths we want to develop in every child. There is also a growing knowledge base about how schools can make a positive difference in helping foster these strengths, and the resources educators need to achieve these interconnected goals. This review has shown that we already have ways to measure the qualities we care about, that is, tools to understand how well schools are supporting students in the many dimensions of learning and experience that are critical for our society.