Standardized Testing
Education news, analysis, and opinion about assessments that allow for comparisons across students and groups of students
Assessment
Don’t Use State Tests ‘Punitively,’ Ed. Secretary Cardona Warns
As federal accountability restarts after two years, guidance from the department underscores how complicated that could be.
Assessment
Latest Round of Federal Grants Aims to Make States' Assessments More Equitable, Precise
The U.S. Department of Education awarded over $29 million in competitive grants to 10 state education agencies.
Assessment
Opinion
Are There Better Ways Than Standardized Tests to Assess Students? Educators Think So
Student portfolios and school community surveys are but two of the many alternatives to standardized tests.
Equity & Diversity
The Case of the Missing Data on AP Students
The College Board raised eyebrows by removing public racial and ethnic data on AP students. It will restore the data this fall.
Assessment
Letter to the Editor
We Need NAEP
The president and CEO of Knowledge Alliance responds to a recent opinion essay's criticism of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Assessment
Letter to the Editor
2022 Assessment ‘Most Important’ Ever
The executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board responds to criticism of NAEP in this letter to the editor.
Assessment
Opinion
Ignore NAEP. Better Yet, Abolish It
We’ve got to stop testing schools to death, writes Al Kingsley. National (and international) tests won't “fix” education.
Assessment
Opinion
The Future, Present, and Past of 'the Nation's Report Card'
What lies ahead for the nation's only true barometer of the state of K-12 education?
Accountability
School Accountability Is Restarting After a Two-Year Pause. Here's What That Means
For a moment, the COVID-19 pandemic succeeded in doing what periodic protests about school accountability couldn't: Halting it.
College & Workforce Readiness
What the Research Says
12th Graders Took Harder Courses and Got Higher GPAs, But Test Scores Fell. What Gives?
A federal study finds that improvements in high school students' course-taking and GPAs did not lead to higher NAEP scores.
School & District Management
Opinion
It's Time to Debunk the Myths About Standardized Tests
Professional learning communities can help crack the code to measuring a student's success.
Accountability
Opinion
Are K-12 State Tests Like a Visit to the Pediatrician?
Even if the doctor’s trip isn’t pleasant, at least parents get something out of it they believe is worthwhile.
School & District Management
Opinion
How Can You Measure a School's Success? It's Not Just Through Test Scores
Judge schools on how well they meet the needs of students, staff, and the community, say educators.
Accountability
Opinion
What Does the Future Hold for School Accountability?
Testing and accountability advocates have an opportunity to think anew about how to make the case for testing.