Presented as part of a multi-paper session titled "Improving Education Quality and Equity Through Appropriate Measures," this library entry provides materials corresponding to the presentation "Alternative Measures of Low Socioeconomic Status for k-12 Education Evaluation." Socioeconomic status (SES) may be the most influential student characteristic in relation to academic achievement. Historically, education accountability systems and education researchers have relied on eligibility for free/reduced-price meals, determined from financial information obtained from student household applications, as an SES measure. A federally required alternative to household applications, the Community Eligibility Option (CEO), will be scaled nationally by the 2014-15 school year. CEO benefits schools by offering relief from collecting financial data from families and tracking free/reduced meal eligibility student-by-student. Meal reimbursement is formula-based relative to direct certification rates (i.e., 40%+ students in Head Start, foster care, are homeless or migrant, or receive other federal benefits). Schools maintain their CEO status for 4 years. A consequence of CEO, especially for K-12 research and evaluation, is the loss of the historical SES measure. Alternative SES measures are explored, and examples of their application in West Virginia are presented.#2013Conference #Prek-12EducationalEvaluation