Education Policy

Education Policy

Educators and policymakers need supportive policies to improve schools. We partner with states and districts to develop those policies and advocate their adoption at the district, state and federal levels. In papers, blog posts and presentations nationally, we highlight good policy practices.


Recent Education Policy Projects

Maryland

We partnered with Maryland as it undertook a comprehensive re-envisioning of both its assessment and accountability systems. The Center helped develop and coordinate a broad-based task force to help define policy priorities, which we documented in a comprehensive report that outlined clear recommendations to improve assessment and accountability.

National Assessment Governing Board

Scott Marion is one of three measurement professionals on the 26-member board that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the “Nation’s Report Card.” In this role, he helps support the technical quality of the assessment and advocates for strong policies to support it.

Policy briefs, blogs and webinars

We work to build support for federal and state policies to support high-quality assessment and accountability systems that ensure that all students have a fair opportunity to learn meaningful content and skills. Two short papers, “The Case for State Testing” and “The Case for Statewide School Accountability Systems,” are recent examples of this work.


Recent Education Policy Blog Posts and Papers

Equity and the Accessibility Game Plan

Key strategies from the world of accessibility offer helpful guidance in advancing equity in educational testing in K12 schools.
December 11, 2024

How Do State Leaders Want to Change the Every Student Succeeds Act? 

ESSA is widely criticized, but our new survey shows that most assessment and accountability leaders favor few changes.
November 20, 2024

Assessment Consequences Matter: A Look Back at RILS 2024

Our annual conference asked an important question: How do we minimize the unintended negative consequences of assessment for individuals and systems?
October 16, 2024

Redistributing Responsibility for Teachers’ Assessment Literacy

Understanding assessment and using it well should be the responsibility of the entire school community, not just its teachers.
October 9, 2024

Is Your Accountability System Working the Way It Should?

Few states evaluate their systems to see if they’re working well. We examined one state’s consistency in identifying the right schools for support.
October 2, 2024

2024 Reidy Interactive Learning Series

A collection of presentations on the consequential uses of assessment, from the Center's 2024 conference.
October 2, 2024

Understanding Assessment Culture

How do attitudes and beliefs about assessment affect teaching and learning in your school? In partnership with ISTE, the Center […]
August 30, 2024

The Time Trap: Why It’s Misguided to Report Assessment Results as “Years of Learning”

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators and policymakers have scrambled to assess the impact on student learning. Popular […]
August 28, 2024

Bringing a Fresh Perspective to Assessment Purpose

Two California school districts conducted reviews of their required assessments. In the second of a two-part series, we share what they learned.
August 21, 2024

Eliminating Unnecessary District-Required Assessments

Two California school districts conducted reviews of their required assessments. In the first of a two-part series, we share what they learned.
August 14, 2024