Dr. Carla Evans is an associate director at the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment (Center for Assessment). Carla supports states in designing and implementing assessment and accountability reforms. For example, she is actively engaged with projects attempting to bridge the gap between the classroom and the statehouse by designing and implementing balanced assessment systems. Her work includes leading statewide assessment system reviews, assessment literacy initiatives, and performance assessment design and implementation activities. Carla also supports states with accountability design and reforms, including working with task forces to define and operationalize values into the accountability system design and implementation.
Carla’s research focuses on the impacts and implementation of assessment and accountability policies on teaching and learning. She is especially interested in policy research related to balanced assessment systems, culturally responsive assessment, performance-based assessments, AI in classroom assessment, instructionally useful assessment, and assessment literacy.
Carla recently published two books. The first is with Scott Marion, Understanding Instructionally Useful Assessment, which details the assessment design and implementation features necessary to make it more likely that classroom teachers can use the information from an assessment to change their instruction the next day or within a short amount of time. Carla also co-edited an NCME volume with Catherine Taylor, Culturally Responsive Assessment in Classrooms and Large-Scale Contexts: Theory, Research and Practice.
Carla has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and regularly presents her research at the American Educational Research Association (AERA), National Council for Measurement in Education (NCME), and the National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA). Carla is also a frequent blogger on the Center's website and has created a set of open-source Classroom Assessment Literacy modules as well as resources on assessing 21st century skills.
Carla received a Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire with a concentration in Assessment, Evaluation, and Policy. She was awarded numerous honors, including AERA Division H’s Outstanding Dissertation Award, UNH Dissertation Year Fellowship, UNH Graduate Research Assistantships, and UNH Education Department Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award. Carla recently completed a three-year term on AERA’s Classroom Assessment SIG leadership team and serves as an adjunct professor of education at the University of New Hampshire. Carla began her career as an elementary classroom teacher for almost a decade.
Evans, C.M. & Taylor, C. (Eds.) (2025). Culturally Responsive Assessment in Classrooms and Large-Scale Contexts: Theory, Research, and Practice (NCME Edited Volume). Routledge.
Marion, S. F., & Evans, C. M. (2025). Perspectives: Conceptualizing and Evaluating Instructionally Useful Assessments. In E. Armour-Thomas, E.L. Baker, H. Everson, E.W. Gordon, S. Sireci, & E. Tucker (Eds.), Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning.
Evans, C.M. & Marion, S.F. (2024). Understanding Instructionally Useful Assessment. Routledge.
Evans, C. M. (2023). Applying a culturally responsive pedagogical framework to design and evaluate classroom performance-based assessments in Hawai‘i. Applied Measurement in Education.
Stone, A. & Evans, C. M. (2023). Keeping up the PACE: Evaluating grade 8 student achievement outcomes for New Hampshire’s innovative assessment system. Applied Measurement in Education.
Evans, C. M. (2023). Applying a Contrasting Groups Standard Setting Methodology to a Large-Scale Performance Assessment Program Used for Accountability. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 28(1).
Dadey, N., Evans, C. M., & Lorié, W. (2023). Through-year assessment: Ten key considerations. The National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment.
Wellberg, S. & Evans, C. M. (2022). Assumptions Underlying Performance Assessment Reforms Intended to Improve Instructional Practices: A Research-Based Framework. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 27(23).
Evans, C. M., Thompson, J., & Landl, E. (2020). Making sense of K-12 competency-based education: A systematic literature review of implementation and outcomes research from 2000 to 2019. Journal of Competency-Based Education, 5(4).
Evans, C. M., Graham, S., & Lefebvre, M. (2019). Exploring K-12 competency-based education implementation in the Northeast states. NASSP Bulletin.
Evans, C.M. (2019). Effects of New Hampshire’s innovative assessment and accountability system on student achievement outcomes after 3 years. Educational Policy Analysis Archives.
Evans, C.M., & Lyons, S. (2017). Comparability in balanced assessment systems for state accountability. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice.
Carla’s research focuses on the impacts and implementation of assessment and accountability policies on teaching and learning. She is especially interested in policy research related to balanced assessment systems, culturally responsive assessment, performance-based assessments, AI in classroom assessment, instructionally useful assessment, and assessment literacy.
Carla recently published two books. The first is with Scott Marion, Understanding Instructionally Useful Assessment, which details the assessment design and implementation features necessary to make it more likely that classroom teachers can use the information from an assessment to change their instruction the next day or within a short amount of time. Carla also co-edited an NCME volume with Catherine Taylor, Culturally Responsive Assessment in Classrooms and Large-Scale Contexts: Theory, Research and Practice.
Carla has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and regularly presents her research at the American Educational Research Association (AERA), National Council for Measurement in Education (NCME), and the National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA). Carla is also a frequent blogger on the Center's website and has created a set of open-source Classroom Assessment Literacy modules as well as resources on assessing 21st century skills.
Carla received a Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire with a concentration in Assessment, Evaluation, and Policy. She was awarded numerous honors, including AERA Division H’s Outstanding Dissertation Award, UNH Dissertation Year Fellowship, UNH Graduate Research Assistantships, and UNH Education Department Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award. Carla recently completed a three-year term on AERA’s Classroom Assessment SIG leadership team and serves as an adjunct professor of education at the University of New Hampshire. Carla began her career as an elementary classroom teacher for almost a decade.
Recent and Relevant Publications
Evans, C.M. & Taylor, C. (Eds.) (2025). Culturally Responsive Assessment in Classrooms and Large-Scale Contexts: Theory, Research, and Practice (NCME Edited Volume). Routledge.
Marion, S. F., & Evans, C. M. (2025). Perspectives: Conceptualizing and Evaluating Instructionally Useful Assessments. In E. Armour-Thomas, E.L. Baker, H. Everson, E.W. Gordon, S. Sireci, & E. Tucker (Eds.), Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning.
Evans, C.M. & Marion, S.F. (2024). Understanding Instructionally Useful Assessment. Routledge.
Evans, C. M. (2023). Applying a culturally responsive pedagogical framework to design and evaluate classroom performance-based assessments in Hawai‘i. Applied Measurement in Education.
Stone, A. & Evans, C. M. (2023). Keeping up the PACE: Evaluating grade 8 student achievement outcomes for New Hampshire’s innovative assessment system. Applied Measurement in Education.
Evans, C. M. (2023). Applying a Contrasting Groups Standard Setting Methodology to a Large-Scale Performance Assessment Program Used for Accountability. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 28(1).
Dadey, N., Evans, C. M., & Lorié, W. (2023). Through-year assessment: Ten key considerations. The National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment.
Wellberg, S. & Evans, C. M. (2022). Assumptions Underlying Performance Assessment Reforms Intended to Improve Instructional Practices: A Research-Based Framework. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 27(23).
Evans, C. M., Thompson, J., & Landl, E. (2020). Making sense of K-12 competency-based education: A systematic literature review of implementation and outcomes research from 2000 to 2019. Journal of Competency-Based Education, 5(4).
Evans, C. M., Graham, S., & Lefebvre, M. (2019). Exploring K-12 competency-based education implementation in the Northeast states. NASSP Bulletin.
Evans, C.M. (2019). Effects of New Hampshire’s innovative assessment and accountability system on student achievement outcomes after 3 years. Educational Policy Analysis Archives.
Evans, C.M., & Lyons, S. (2017). Comparability in balanced assessment systems for state accountability. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice.
