The Road Ahead for State Assessments
This report includes three papers that address critical “next generation” issues in assessment policy that can help to guide the choices made about system design: computer adaptive assessments, assessment of English learners and assessing science. The common conclusion in all three papers is that assessment policy will have to take full advantage of new technologies to provide useful and timely information to students and teachers about the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning.
The three papers bring together a set of critical issues around equity, access and technology, and do an excellent job of presenting relevant research, and important considerations facing the two assessment consortia, PARCC and SBAC. These papers provide important information for next-generation assessment development, and it would be important to see the challenges as well as possibilities if integrated successfully.