Coherence: Key to Next Generation Assessment Success
In this Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center (AACC) policy brief, Joan L. Herman explains the significance of a coherent multi-assessment system and describes key considerations in developing such a system. Herman begins with a description of the need for assessments that are tightly coupled to learning goals. The author connects this discussion of assessments to a suggested approach to establish a system that includes horizontal, developmental, and vertical assessment coherence. Using detailed models and explanations, Herman’s approach to assessment involves close alignment between instruction, learning goals, and assessment tasks across all levels of the system, and one that is used to support learning for teachers, students, and leaders over a series of time points. The brief concludes with concise descriptions of different types of assessment and their corresponding uses.
This resource offers valuable guidance for educators working on the development of a multi-assessment system at the school, district, and state levels. The brief includes clear explanations of the suggested models, visual representations to support descriptions, and practical examples that make the content accessible.