The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires state accountability systems to be operational in the 2017-2018 school year in order to start making school determinations in the 2018-2019 school year. Each state’s ESSA-aligned accountability system should be based on a state’s strategic vision that includes a theory of action to achieve that vision that answers the following questions: what actions must the state take to achieve its goals? What resources, processes, and supports must be put in place? The purpose of this resource is to help state leaders think through the process for selecting and implementing a growth model for their accountability system.