Assessment

Assessment

Assessment provides crucial insight into student learning. In a well-balanced system of large-scale summative, interim/curriculum-embedded and formative assessments, leaders at each level-state, district, school and classroom-can use assessment results to support learning. We help leaders identify their highest-priority assessment uses and design systems to meet their needs.


Recent Assessment Projects

National leadership on state assessment practice

We facilitate ongoing conversations with 40-plus states on the technical and policy issues that support good practice in statewide assessment. The collaborative is based at the Council of Chief State School Officers; our facilitation is part of our longstanding partnership with CCSSO.

Through-year design

Montana wanted to make its assessments more useful for instruction. We are supporting the state in building a through-year system that yields results several times a year, with the intent to provide information for classroom teachers to gain insight into student learning before the end of the year.

21st century competencies

The International Baccalaureate explored ways to define and assess hard-to-measure competencies like creativity and ethical thinking. To support IB, we produced a series of literature reviews defining these complex skills and providing recommendations for assessing these skills.


Recent Assessment Blog Posts and Papers

High School Badging: Program Implementation Guidance for State and District Leaders

These two guides can help state and district leaders plan, implement, monitor and improve high school badging systems.
March 20, 2026

Designing a Communication Plan When an Assessment Changes

This document provides guidance for education leaders in developing a communication plan when there are changes to statewide assessments.
March 11, 2026

Testing Democracy: How Large-Scale Assessment Systems Can Support Civic Learning

This paper provides guidance to support small changes that could help raise the salience of civic goals and generate data to monitor progress.
March 2, 2026

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.
February 25, 2026

Artificial Intelligence in Large-Scale Assessment Systems

An exploration of the potential of AI, especially generative AI, in key stages of the educational assessment life cycle.
February 18, 2026

Academic Growth: Recommendations for the Senate HELP Committee

The Center responds to the Senate HELP Committee's request for information on academic growth models.
February 13, 2026

Assessing Civic Learning

The editors of a new book discuss how assessment can support civics learning and students' engagement in civics.
February 11, 2026

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.
January 28, 2026

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.
January 21, 2026

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.
January 14, 2026