The fat lady of testing hasn’t sung yet
By Dale Chu Moments ago, the U.S. Department of Education appeared to shoot down the testing waiver requests submitted by states like Georgia and Michigan while potentially deterring those currently in the works in other states. In a strongly worded letter sent today to state chiefs by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, she writes, […]
Take Five for Testing
There’s been a lot happening in the world of assessment. In case you missed any of it, here’s a quick recap of five stories: States have started lining up for 2021 testing waivers We all suspected it was bound to happen, but who knew it would happen so soon? Georgia was the first to signal […]
Testing in Georgia on my mind (er, the chopping block)
By Dale Chu In light of current events, it was bound to happen, but who knew it would happen so soon? Earlier today, Georgia became the first state to signal its intention to seek a federal waiver from 2021 testing requirements. In a joint announcement from Governor Brian Kemp and State Superintendent Richard Woods, the […]
New science assessments in Massachusetts
By Dale Chu Just because spring testing is on hold doesn’t mean innovation in assessment has come to a halt. Last week, Massachusetts got the green light from the U.S. Department of Education to develop new science assessments for grades 5 and 8 under ESSA as part of the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority or IADA […]
Another testing straw man bites the dust
By Dale Chu The tried-and-true playbook used by anti-testing advocates is a raggedy, dog-eared one. From test anxiety to student stress, the straw men trotted out in service of eliminating standardized tests are heavy on anecdotes, but light on evidence. Perhaps the most popular example is the oft-repeated yet oft-unchecked claim that the modern testing […]
A shot in the arm for innovative assessments
By Dale Chu Perhaps concerned by the dearth of takers on the flexibility afforded under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to pilot innovative assessments, the U.S. Department of Education just released a proposed rule related to the Competitive Grants for State Assessments (CGSA) program. With this step, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is ostensibly […]
Two tensions in testing
By Dale Chu Last week, the Collaborative for Student Success and Education Week held a special event to mark the four-year anniversary of the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Participants took stock of the law’s impact thus far, and of the many conversations that took place, it became clear that for better […]
The future(?) of state assessment (Part II): A conversation with NWEA’s Abby Javurek
By Dale Chu Abby Javurek is the Senior Director of Large Scale Assessment Solutions at Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), an education services organization probably best known for their computerized adaptive “MAP” tests. They recently announced the development of an adaptive, “through-year” assessment, a new solution that NWEA says eliminates the need for states to administer […]
The future(?) of state assessment (Part I): A conversation with NWEA’s Abby Javurek
By Dale Chu Abby Javurek is the Senior Director of Large Scale Assessment Solutions at Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), an education services organization probably best known for their computerized adaptive “MAP” tests. They recently announced the development of an adaptive, “through-year” assessment, a new solution that NWEA says eliminates the need for states to administer […]
The new testing landscape: A conversation with FutureEd’s Lynn Olson
By Dale Chu Lynn Olson is an award-winning writer and editor, and a senior fellow at FutureEd, a think tank at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. They recently released a new report called The New Testing Landscape: State Assessments Under ESSA, which includes a scan of state testing systems across the country, a […]