Statewide testing programs, such as Utah's, provide a rich source of performance data. This paper builds on the work of Klitgaard (1974) and identifies educational objectives and corresponding measures by which educators can more fully describe the performance of their school system, utilizing statewide testing data. Methodology involved regression analysis of Utah's Stanford 8 Achievement Test scores for 1990-91 and 1991-92. Three sections report on conceptually distinct indicators of performance--threshold, uncontrolled, and controlled indicators. Comparative and trend data among Utah school districts are analyzed. Nine educational objectives that underlie the measurement and description of the performance assessment are described. Problems in the validity and utility of standardized achievement tests are addressed. The performance measures provide preliminary evidence that Utah's schools are improving over time. Accurate and useful performance assessment requires multiple indicators, for which trend analysis is useful. In general, the findings suggest that efforts to improve the achievement of Utah's schools did not affect any single educational goal, but had implications for several educational goals. Concerns about the average level of achievement within a school, district, or state should not be at the expense of concerns about how those scores are distributed or how the very exceptional schools fare. Eleven tables are included. Contains 13 references. (LMI)