Beyond test scores—but not beyond what they’re good for
By Dale Chu The post-NCLB push to broaden how we judge school quality is well-intentioned—and overdue in some respects. Headlines like the one from a recent op-ed in The 74, “Beyond Test Scores: 186 Innovative Educators on How to Know a School Is Good” reflect a growing desire for richer, more holistic indicators of student […]
NAEP can’t—and shouldn’t—do it all
By Dale Chu The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is shrinking. Due to budget constraints and shifting priorities, the federal government is scaling back the Nation’s Report Card. Upcoming assessments in science, writing, and U.S. history are being canceled or limited to fewer grade levels. Fewer students will be tested. Fewer data points will […]
When a test notice becomes a culture war memo
By Dale Chu Standardized testing season typically brings reminders about sleep and snacks—not culture war disclaimers. But a recent message to families from my daughter’s Colorado charter school, sent ahead of this month’s fourth-grade social studies test, took a very different tack. Rather than a straightforward update on logistics (which, to be fair, parents received […]
March Mathness: Behind and beyond the scoreboard
By: Dale Chu March is here, and with it comes the return of March Mathness—a time to spotlight state-led efforts to improve math achievement. While the tournament gives us plenty to cheer about (just ask my colleagues and erstwhile math judges Jocelyn Pickford and Chad Aldeman), it’s also worth asking: Are we actually fixing math […]
An obtuse angle on the honesty gap
By Dale Chu Virginia’s latest bid to raise academic standards took center stage at last month’s state board of education meeting, where policymakers debated the future of the state’s proficiency benchmarks. At the heart of this discussion is Virginia’s “honesty gap”—the misleadingly high proficiency rates reported on state exams compared to the more sobering results […]
Dodging an assessment bullet
By Dale Chu In an interview Miguel Cardona gave before he stepped down, the now former education secretary offered a curious answer to the question of his biggest regret. Here’s what he said: You never punch out. There’s always more you can do. I wanted to do more in terms of assessments. I think our […]
NAEP sounds the alarm on math. Who’s paying attention?
By Dale Chu The latest NAEP math results are in, and they confirm what many have feared: our students remain in a deep hole when it comes to student achievement. The Nation’s Report Card has long been an invaluable barometer of academic progress, and this new data should serve as yet another wake-up call. But […]
2024 assessment results: The asterisk era
By Dale Chu This week, Assessment HQ published 2024 assessment results for 41 states (and D.C.). The key takeaway is that (nominal) gains in math are outpacing ELA, but students are by and large still far behind. That hasn’t stopped some states from trying to sugarcoat the setbacks students have faced post-Covid, but the lack […]
2024 assessment results: Slight progress in math
By Dale Chu Now that most states have released their 2024 assessment results, what can we make of them? Overall, most states are nowhere near full recovery. Anecdotally, in conversations I’ve had with school and district leaders, more movement is being seen in math than ELA—with the conventional wisdom being that math skills are more […]
Now live: 2023-24 state assessment results
By Dale Chu With the election and Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror and the end of the year right around the corner, Assessment HQ enthusiasts can take heart in today’s release of 2023-24 state assessment scores for 41 states (and D.C.). With this update, Assessment HQ now features four years of post-pandemic results for most […]