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Building on a Strong Foundation: A New Chapter of Leadership at the Center

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Sep 24, 2025

For almost 30 years, the Center for Assessment has played a vital role in shaping educational assessment and accountability. Guided by visionary leaders before us and supported by a team of professionals that is second to none, the Center has established itself as a trusted, independent voice that combines technical expertise with a deep commitment to improving student learning. 

That legacy gives us both confidence and responsibility as we look ahead. As the new leadership team, we are excited by the opportunity to build on this strong foundation and to guide the Center into its next chapter, ensuring it remains a force for innovation, integrity, and impact in the years to come.  

As we begin this new chapter, we want to pause and share our vision for the future and the commitments that will guide us.

Affirming Our North Star

The Center’s path forward is clear. Our recent strategic plan sharpened that trajectory, and our leadership transition is about affirming and accelerating, not redirecting, the work already underway.

We continue to be guided by the values in our strategic plan: 

  • Equity: We work to help design and implement systems that support improved access to learning opportunities and outcomes for all students. 
  • Integrity: We work ethically and honestly. 
  • Collaboration: We believe in establishing partnerships built on mutual responsibility. 
  • Evidence: We ground our strategies in research and monitor the evidence as we go to continuously learn and improve.  
  • Impact: We generate and share transformative results to help scale and sustain great practices.  

These values shape both how we work and what we aspire to achieve.

Related: Read or listen to interviews with Chris, Juan and Carla. Read our announcement about the leadership change.

What’s more, we’re proud of our team. The professionals at the Center are in a class of their own, and our job is to create the conditions where they can grow and thrive while sustaining a collaborative culture that helps us be better together. 

Meeting the Moment

Of course, the landscape of education is shifting, and we must rise to the occasion. A few of the challenges and opportunities we’re paying close attention to include:

  • Assessment and accountability under pressure. We must show the value of assessment and accountability while acknowledging their limits. That means designing systems that are rigorous, usable, and clearly connected to meaningful improvement.  
  • Artificial intelligence. AI will reshape assessment and accountability, and we want to lead by anticipating both its possibilities and risks. We are committed to helping the field use AI responsibly and fairly.
  • Evolving understandings of accessibility, fairness, and equity. Every student’s path looks different. We want to ensure fair access to opportunities for all, and we aim to make this real through tools, measures, and frameworks that illuminate disparities and guide action.  

Strategic Priorities

Despite these shifting conditions, our leadership vision is anchored in four enduring priorities:

  • Build external capacity. Equip states, districts, and organizations with the knowledge and tools they need to design systems that are rigorous, equitable, and contextually relevant.
  • Diversify our portfolio. Grow new partnerships with districts, higher education, and like-minded organizations.
  • Support the field in knowledge, practice, and process. Lead through open-source scholarship, frameworks, and tools that expand understanding of assessment and evaluation in both traditional and innovative ways.
  • Maintain our open-access ethic. Continue to freely share our intellectual property, knowing that the best ideas grow when shared.

How We Achieve This Vision Matters

At the Center, impact is not just about what we accomplish; it’s also about who we are and how we work:

  • Relationships at the core. We believe collaboration and trust are essential for lasting impact.
  • A thriving team. Our team is extraordinary, and we are committed to their growth through mentorship, professional learning, and leadership opportunities.
  • Communication and open access. Great ideas only matter if they are understood and used. That’s why we commit to making our work accessible, usable, and open-source.

We are also intentional about being nonpartisan and open to collaboration across the ideological spectrum, as long as approaches align with our mission and values. Our simple commitment is this: we’re ready to work with anyone who is dedicated to turning strong ideas into meaningful improvements for students.

This new chapter of leadership is built on the shoulders of those who came before us. With gratitude for those who founded the Center and have led it—Rich Hill, Brian Gong and Scott Marion—and with confidence in the incredible team we are privileged to lead, we are excited for the road ahead. Together, we’ll continue to grow from a strong foundation and remain focused on the goal of leveraging assessment and accountability to help every student succeed.

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