Way back in the days of NCLB, testing often existed in a vacuum. Lengthy administration windows created long delays between taking the test and receiving results from it; many assessments were poorly aligned with state standards and local curricula; communication with parents and teachers was insufficient; and too much test preparation heightened the anxiety level for teachers and students alike. These issues largely prevented assessments from being used to support and drive effective teaching and learning. That doesn’t mean just state tests, either, but rather the full range of assessments given during the year and across curricula.
But the new federal education law creates a chance for a fresh start. While ESSA retains yearly assessment in grades 3–8 and once in high school, the role of testing has changed. States are now empowered to use additional factors besides test scores in their school accountability systems, states may cap the amount of instructional time devoted to testing, funding exists to streamline testing, and teacher evaluations need no longer be linked to student scores. These changes may mean less anxiety, but that won’t equate to better outcomes unless significant reforms occur when states design their new assessment systems.
A new report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) focuses on how to implement such systems. Its authors utilize parent and teacher focus groups, online parent surveys, and interviews with assessment experts and others to pinpoint current problems with testing. Their findings show, for example, that parents recognize the value of testing but want it to be better at providing individualized feedback to their child; teachers crave more time and support (think sample tests, high-quality instruction materials, and opportunities to observe excellent teachers); and stakeholders need better communication. The lack of alignment among standards, curriculum, and tests is an exceptionally significant problem.
To address these issues, the CAP team envisions an ambitious, multifaceted system that routinely evaluates students’ knowledge and skills. It would do so using formative and interim assessments to provide timely and actionable feedback to teachers and parents, culminating in a summative test determining whether students have met grade-level expectations and made satisfactory progress. They supply recommendations to guide federal, state, and local leaders as they implement ESSA. For states, these recommendations include conducting alignment studies to ensure that students are tested on what they learn (and that what they learn matches state standards); developing better communication tools such as clear score reports; and demanding that test results be delivered in a timely way. For districts, CAP recommends that leaders eliminate redundant tests, support teachers’ understanding of assessment design and administration, communicate more effectively with parents about the purpose and use of tests, and streamline assessment logistics. Schools, meanwhile, can improve assessment systems by working with teachers to communicate with parents, stopping unnecessary test preparation, and making test taking less stressful for kids.
All in all, CAP’s recommendations are solid and insightful, and they deserve attention from state and district leaders as they begin to implement the new federal law.
SOURCE: Catherine Brown, Ulrich Boser, Scott Sargrad, and Max Marchitello, “Implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act Toward a Coherent, Aligned Assessment System,” Center for American Progress (January 2016).
