About Us: Our Mission
Critical Issues in Education
We live in exciting times in education. States are trying to implement
the federal "No Child Left Behind Act" in valid and reliable
ways that reflect local values and circumstances.
State legislatures in record numbers are continuing to raise educational
standards and improve student performance. Whether these initiatives take
the form of grass roots campaigns or state mandates, nearly all states
seek to develop new programs to measure and report on school and district
progress in reaching specified goals that mandate new testing programs
with high stakes for students, schools, and districts. Accountability
systems are based on these assessment programs and measure and report
on school and district progress in reaching specified goals. Policymakers,
educators, students, and the public agree that the stakes are high – and
likely to become higher.
State and district educational staffs are often called upon to do more
with less. They frequently lack the time, funds, or expertise to develop
sound, effective assessment programs. Moreover, without help educators
are hard-pressed to make the changes in curriculum and instruction necessary
to meet the demands of accountability systems. All agree that assessment
and accountability systems must be carefully designed and implemented
if they are to have a positive impact on student achievement.
The Center for Assessment, short for The National Center for the Improvement
of Educational Assessment, Inc. (NCIEA), was founded to address the changes
currently underway in assessment and accountability in the United States.
The Center’s mission is to contribute to improved student achievement through
enhanced practices in educational assessment and accountability. We carry
out our mission by working with states and other educational agencies to
design and implement effective assessment and accountability policies and
programs.
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