A gathering of influential policymakers and educators recently took place with the aim of garnering support for a new approach to educational assessment. This approach moves away from traditional tests that only measure a student’s performance at a single point in time and instead aims to align assessments with good instruction itself. Led by Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond, a panel of experts outlined a comprehensive system that includes both summative and formative tests focused on higher-order thinking skills, which are increasingly valued in today’s society. The experts advocated for a shift away from multiple-choice tests that only test factual recall, and towards a set of more in-depth, analytical questions, tasks, and projects that require students to solve and discuss complex problems. As an example, they mentioned a problem presented to high school students in Connecticut: devising a way to build a statue that can withstand the effects of acid rain, and subsequently describing, analyzing, and discussing their findings.
Ms. Darling-Hammond stated that these types of assessments can serve as learning tools by embodying content standards, rather than simply approximating them. Since teachers would be involved in creating and scoring the assessments, and the assessments would be aligned with high-quality content standards, a cohesive teaching and learning system would be established. This system would enable teachers to make real-time adjustments to instruction and assist district and state administrators in developing long-term education strategies.
The discussion held was organized by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, two Washington-based groups. These groups have gained the support of 48 states in the creation of common content standards to ensure students are prepared for college and careers. However, these common standards are deemed "essential" but "inadequate" by Gene Wilhoit, the executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers. He believes that along with the common standards, improvements in assessments, new curricula, and better teacher preparation and professional development are necessary.
Dane Linn, who oversees the work on common standards for the National Governors Association, emphasized the importance of assessments in informing instruction. He stated that the assessments must have an impact on educators’ practices, otherwise, they would be rendered ineffective. Despite being in draft form, the common standards have received support from President Barack Obama, who has promised the opportunity for states embracing these standards to compete for a share of $4 billion in Race to the Top Fund money. Additionally, the president proposed linking Title I education funds to the adoption of rigorous standards that ensure college readiness.
A specific portion of the Race to the Top Fund money, amounting to $350 million, has been set aside for the development of common assessments. Six groups or "consortia" of states, each proposing different assessment approaches, have formed to compete for this funding. After the panel discussion, the leaders of these consortia met to discuss collaborative efforts regarding summative assessments. Roberto Rodriguez, the top education adviser in the White House, attended the panel discussion and encouraged states to use the $350 million to create transformative assessment systems. He mentioned that as Congress reconsiders the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, college and career readiness will be a key objective. However, achieving this objective requires revamped systems of assessment, professional development, and accountability. Mr. Rodriguez emphasized the need for a good assessment system that measures individual student growth over time, utilizes multiple measures of achievement, provides summative information for instruction, state, and district policy-making, integrates results into data systems, and is well-integrated with the curriculum and professional development.
In summary, this gathering of policymakers and educators highlights the importance of transforming educational assessments to align them with effective instruction. By shifting towards assessments that focus on higher-order thinking skills and complex problem-solving, the goal is to create a more comprehensive and meaningful education system. The support for common content standards and assessments from influential groups and the Obama administration demonstrates the significance of these initiatives in improving education outcomes.
Mr. Roeber additionally focused on an important aspect that has captured the attention of those closely following the discussion surrounding new evaluations: the financial implications. Through his ongoing research, which is soon set to be published, he intends to demonstrate that if 30 states collaborate to develop assessment systems that reflect the characteristics highlighted by the panelists, these systems could be created at a comparable cost to what states currently spend on tests utilized for the existing iteration of the ESEA, also known as the No Child Left Behind Act. Ms. Darling-Hammond estimated this expenditure to be around $1.4 billion annually.
