Two-Dimensional Report Cards: A Field Experiment on Socio-Emotional Growth Information

States and districts are rapidly adding survey-based measures of school climate and social-emotional learning (SEL) to accountability systems, yet we know little about whether these metrics capture causal school effects or whether families understand and use them when choosing schools. Mis-measured or misinterpreted socio-emotional indicators could misdirect both parental choices and policy. We partner with Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to construct and validate a measure of school-level socio-emotional growth (SG) and to test whether presenting SG alongside academic value added changes school choice and student outcomes. We will run a large-scale field experiment in LAUSD’s Zones of Choice, where families submit rank-ordered applications among multiple nearby high school programs. All families currently receive letters ranking options by Achievement Growth (AG), a test-score value-added measure. In the treatment arm, families receive a two-dimensional report card that adds SG rankings derived from the district’s School Experience Survey, plus a short QR-code video explaining how to interpret each metric (English/Spanish). Randomization occurs at feeder middle schools within each zone, blocked on pre-treatment characteristics. We combine randomized assignment with a baseline and endline survey eliciting beliefs and preferences over AG and SG and rich administrative records on applications, assignments, enrollment, and downstream outcomes (SEL, test scores, attendance, discipline, graduation, and college enrollment via National Student Clearinghouse).