In this article, we examine the utility and value of multiple measures of school performance for school leaders and managers. The research was conducted within the context of the state of California through an investigation of how operators, managers and authorisers of autonomous "charter" (publicly financed but privately operated) schools use data to inform decision-making. Users valued data that were transparent in derivation, included an array of schooling dimensions, were longitudinal, and allowed for benchmarking with other schools. (Contains 5 notes.)