Equity and Fairness

Equity and Fairness

We center equity in all our projects. We are committed to improving learning for all students, especially those who have not historically had fair access to educational opportunities. We work closely with states and school districts to ensure that their policies and practices on assessment and accountability are as equitable as possible, and we extend this work through our publications and our service on a variety of panels and committees.


Recent Equity and Fairness Projects

Equitable and fair assessment practices

Juan D’Brot serves on the National Council on Measurement in Education’s (NCME) Task Force on Civil Rights in Measurement and as a member of NCME’s Committee on Diversity in Testing. Carla Evans serves on the equity-focused “Assessment for Good” project.

Culturally Responsive Assessment

Carla Evans co-edited an NCME-sponsored volume, Culturally Responsive Assessment in Classrooms and Large-Scale Assessment Contexts: Theory, Research, and Practice, which includes chapters from Center experts, summarizes the most important research and sets future directions for more equitable and just assessment.

Hawaii

We are engaged in several lines of work in Hawaii to support equitable assessment, particularly for indigenous populations. This includes performance assessment development meant to instantiate views on culturally responsive practices. Center leaders have also provided vital technical advice to support the KA’EO assessment system to help this program receive federal approval


Recent Equity and Fairness Blog Posts and Papers

Guidance for Examining District Alternate Assessment Participation Rates

Carla Evans and Chris Domaleski prepared a technical brief with the National Center on Educational Outcomes to help states implement […]
October 10, 2018

Use of the “Equity Indicator” in State ESSA Accountability Systems

Scott Marion argues on behalf of several states for a principled approach to using an equity indicator in their ESSA […]
December 27, 2017

Considering English Language Proficiency Within Systems of Accountability Under the Every Student Succeeds Act

This white paper provides an overview of key considerations associated with including indicators of progress in English language proficiency within […]
March 27, 2017

Testing Accommodations for Students with Dyslexia: Key Opportunities to Understand Student Thinking

The goal of this paper is to describe dyslexia, investigate current accommodation trends that are often recommended for this population, […]
March 25, 2016

Promoting Equity in State Education Accountability Systems

An exploration of new approaches to accountability design proposed by states in responses to federal ESEA flexibility requests. The opportunities […]
November 1, 2012

Transitioning English Language Learners in Massachusetts: An Exploratory Data Review

This paper explores several questions about students who are English language learners (ELLs) in Massachusetts. For how many years is […]
April 16, 2012

Identifying Learning Progressions in Common Core State Standards for Use in Alternate Assessments

In 2010, the National Alternate Assessment Center (NAAC) at the University of Kentucky sponsored a curriculum development project to create […]
June 1, 2010

Let’s Not Forget About Opportunity to Learn: Curricular Supports for Innovative Assessments

This paper provides a foundation for developing and using replacement units to help local educators upgrade their curriculum and instruction […]
April 26, 2010

Designing and Developing Alternate Assessments for Modified Achievement Standards

This presentation focuses on understanding how to design and develop an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). Different […]
February 4, 2009

Assessment, Learning, Equity: What Will It Take to Move to the Next Level?

This invited presentation from the ETS-College Board symposium presents ways large scale assessment and more comprehensive assessment systems might be […]
September 7, 2008