Making Sense of Achievement Trends
We should pay attention to achievement trends, but recognize that trends rarely have a single, universal explanation.
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Insights on Educational Assessment, Accountability, and Education Policy
What We’re Up To: Center Presentations at NCSA 2026
We’ve got a bunch of interesting presentations lined up for NCSA next week. Here’s a rundown of what we’re doing.
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When an Assessment Changes, Communication Planning Matters
When an assessment changes, it’s important to build understanding early. Constituencies need to know what changed, why, and what it means for them.
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Reclaiming Accountability: From Labels to Learning
Accountability identifies schools that need support, but it must do better to help educators understand the problem and what to do next.
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Evaluating the Impact of Statewide School Accountability Systems
Are school accountability systems working as intended? As the U.S. Education Department offers states flexibility, it’s time to examine the evidence.
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Measuring Durable Competencies: Right-Sizing Expectations
Pressure to measure durable competencies is surging. But it’s challenging: there are limitations to what the data actually tell us.
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Supporting Systemic Changes in High School Math
Making deep changes in high school math assessment requires sustained support. These two new guides for state and district leaders can help.
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What We’re Up To: Center Presentations at NCME & AERA
Check out our lineup of fascinating presentations at two of the assessment field’s big conferences, NCME and AERA.
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Civic Learning Matters. Assessment Systems Should Measure It
Schools should prepare graduates for economic opportunity and democratic participation, but our assessment systems don’t gauge how well they’re doing.
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Measuring Durable Skills: Why States Need More Than a Test
A large-scale test isn’t enough to measure durable skills. A broader view of assessment opens up a nuanced, more promising landscape.
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Assessing Civic Learning
The editors of a new book discuss how assessment can support civics learning and students’ engagement in civics.
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School Choice and Accountability: Why Families Need Better Information Systems
As public school choice expands, families need good information to help them make decisions. Accountability systems should provide that information.
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Reimagining Math Education: Teacher Experiences of Math Badging in High School
What happens when high schools adopt math badging? Our multi-state study examines benefits, challenges and lessons in reimagining math education.
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Using School and Classroom Climate Surveys to Improve Learning Environments (Part 2)
Several key questions arise when school leaders decide to use a climate survey to learn about students’ experiences. We explore them and offer guidance.
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Using School and Classroom Climate Surveys to Improve Learning Environments (Part 1)
Education leaders seeking insight into students’ learning experiences have a powerful, low-cost tool at their disposal: school climate surveys.
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Reflecting on 2025 and Looking Ahead to 2026
2025 brought many challenges to K-12 education. The Center for Assessment moves into 2026 with a clear-eyed vision in changing times.
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Teacher Engagement With Embedded Classroom Assessments
We studied how Chicago teachers use the district’s curriculum-embedded assessments, patterns that point to the kinds of support they need.
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Accountability System Design Tensions
Why we keep adding measures to our school accountability systems and how we can harness the idea of subtraction to streamline them.
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