Assessment and Accountability
Editor’s Note
Assessment and accountability go hand in hand in the effort to improve academic achievement for all children. These articles investigate emerging trends in assessment (including informative assessment and value-added techniques), probe the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, and raise important questions about high-stakes testing and its impact on student learning.—C.T.C.
An Inexact Science
What are the technical challenges involved in using value-added measures?
Every year, teachers in Tennessee receive two reports on their students’ academic performance. The first, which details their scores on state accountability tests, is reported publicly and used in school reports on student achievement. Continue
Performance vs. Attainment
The double standard for accountability in American high schools
It was a fairly standard high school visit. I met Kevin, the principal of Belle Glade High School, in his office at 7:15 a.m. and spent most of the day visiting classrooms. Continue
Proficiency for What?
A Wyoming standards-setting panel weighs the impact of its decisions
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires states to ensure that all schoolchildren are “proficient” in reading, writing, and mathematics by 2014. But what does proficiency really mean?
Continue
Related Articles
What's Wrong with Wrong Answers?
Standardized tests fail to capture this important data source
Adding Value to Student Assessment
Does “value-added assessment” live up to its name?
Basic Skills Revisited
Under NCLB, the pendulum swings too far—again
Red Light, Green Light
Wyoming’s new accountability tests provide “traffic signals” to help teachers improve instruction
High-Stakes Testing and the Corruption of America's Schools
Leadership Lessons From Schools Becoming “Data Wise”
Testing Goes to Preschool
Will state and federal testing programs advance the goal of school readiness for all children?
Unlearned Lessons
Six stumbling blocks to our schools' success
The “Data Wise” Improvement Process
Eight steps for using test data to improve teaching and learning
(In)formative Assessments
New tests and activities can help teachers guide student learning
Is History … History?
Standards, accountability, and the future of our nation’s past
No Adolescent Left Behind?
California’s testing and accountability system illustrates the challenges of extending No Child Left Behind to high school
High School Reform the San Jose Way
It wasn't about testing, says the district's former superintendent
Using Authentic Assessment to Raise Student Achievement
One Teacher’s Experiment
Aligning District Tests and Curricula with State Requirements
Lessons of a "Model" Program
Making the Most of Standardized Test Data
Preparing for the Coming Avalanche of Accountability Tests
We can't get rid of high-stakes tests—but we can replace harmful ones with those that support both accountability and instruction
Putting National Board Certification to the Test
After years of development, this credential for veteran teachers is drawing high praise—and tough questions, too
Six Principles of Effective Accountability
Accountability-based reforms should lead to better teaching and learning-period
