PACE Event

The Road Ahead for State Assessments

A panel of education researchers and policy experts convened in Washington DC on May 16 to explore the findings of a new report that makes the case for bold new student testing models that are fairer and more valid than their predecessors. The report, The Road Ahead for State Assessments, was released by PACE and the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy.

Student assessment is a timely topic, since most states are currently in the process of adopting the new Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts and are considering how to gauge students’ progress toward those standards. State education systems rely heavily on the use of large-scale assessments to evaluate and improve student performance. Given the stakes, ensuring accurate measurements is paramount.

Flaws in current assessment systems, however, blur the true picture of achievement for many students. For example, there has been considerable debate about how best to measure the progress of students with special needs or limited English proficiency toward uniform academic standards, and whether they should be provided accommodations for taking the tests, or excluded altogether.

Panelists include:

  • Robert Linquanti, Project Director and Senior Researcher, WestEd
  • Mark D. Reckase, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Measurement and Quantitative Methods, Michigan State University
  • Jody Clarke-Midura, Associate Professor, Utah State University
  • Chris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies, Harvard University

Moderated by David N. Plank, Executive Director, PACE