Dear Chief State School Officers Letter on Testing Action Plan – February 2, 2016
This guidance letter is a follow-up to the Testing Action Plan released in October 2015. In it, the Department outlines principles for good state assessments and provides information on using federal funds to audit states’ assessment systems. The letter also includes examples that illustrate how federal funds can be used to support “fewer, smarter, high-quality assessments.” States may use federal funds to: assess the applicability of state and district assessments, strengthen professionals’ assessment literacy, improve communication about the purpose and use of assessments, and support the development and implementation of high-quality assessments and related accommodations.