States are closing the honesty gap, but will it last?
By Dale Chu Some honest-to-goodness good news today: The latest National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) study shows that states have raised the cut scores for proficiency on state tests. Both Education Week and U.S. News and World Report have strong write-ups on the study. What this news means is that the honesty gap—the discrepancy […]
Back to school season is a busy one for state testing
Author: Dale Chu With many students returning to school this month, high-quality annual assessments and the significant role they play are as pressing as ever. Annual tests help us all (1) take stock of how well states are doing; (2) gauge state progress toward workforce readiness; and (3) ground education policies and practices in real […]
Game-based assessments: hollow promise or promising frontier?
Author: Dale Chu When it comes to the future of assessments, gaming is often enthusiastically cited as a potential solution. After all, if standardized tests are boring and gaming is fun, the race to replace the former with the latter is entirely comprehensible. The aura of innovation and excitement surrounding video games, in particular, makes […]
Testing Provides Crucial Information
Statewide annual assessments offer insights into whether students are receiving an equitable and excellent education. By Marc H. Morial For more than century, the National Urban League has empowered parents and students in underserved and urban communities to achieve equality in education, jobs, and justice. As a legacy civil rights organization, we recognize the power […]
The SAT “adversity score” brouhaha misses the mark on what matters most
Author: Dale Chu To kick things off here at Testing 1-2-3, let’s take a look at one of the biggest assessment stories of the day. In the wake of the college admissions scandal, the College Board’s announcement last month of a new “adversity score” to measure a student’s school and environmental context was a lit […]
Testing 1-2-3 Blog
Author: Dale Chu Welcome to Testing 1-2-3, my new blog on state practices around annual assessments here at Assessment HQ! Sure, the education policy world is chock full of commentary, but there aren’t any outlets I can think of that focus exclusively on the state of assessments across the country. Why assessments and why now? […]