State Assessment and Accountability Systems
AACC Resources
Resources developed by the AACC to help regional centers and states improve their assessments and accountability systems.
Create Assessment Systems With Coherency
This AACC guide provides recommendations on coherent assessment systems that improve student learning. Written by Joan Herman, AACC/CRESST.
New York Formative Assessment Technical Assistance Study
The NY Formative Assessment Technical Assistance Study is a pilot study that weds expertise at the national, regional, state, and district levels. Selected materials generated through this ongoing study are provided and will be updated as the study progresses.
New York Formative Assessment Technical Assistance Project - Lessons Learned
Our interagency collaboration resulted in a number of important lessons that may benefit others who are working to implement formative assessments on a broad basis.
Reviewed Resources
Includes knowledge (frequently research reports), products and tools, guidance, and services that are recommended by an expert committee. The rating form and method are aligned to ratings from other comprehensive content centers. A comprehensive glossary provides many additional details about the AACC rating process.
International Benchmarking: State Education Performance Standards
Author/Provider: Gary Phillips, American Institutes for Research
Resource Type: Guidance
Cost: Free
Length: 37 pages
Website: http://www.air.org/files/AIR_Int_Benchmarking_State_Ed__Perf_Standards.pdf
Resource Summary: This report uses international benchmarking to examine the expectations gap between what students are expected to learn in some states and what students are expected to learn in others. This report assumes that each state’s expectations are embodied in the stringency of the performance standards it uses on its own state accountability tests. The overall finding in the study is that the differences in the stringency of the performance standards used across the states are huge. Although this gap in expectations is large, few policymakers are aware of it. Additionally, in order to reduce the expectations gap, this report recommends that the current standard-setting paradigm used by the states be reengineered. Rather than deriving performance standards exclusively from internal state content considerations, the report recommends a new method for setting standards that is influenced more by empirical data. See also http://www.air.org/focus-area/education/index.cfm?fa=viewContent&content_id=1021.
Full Citation: Phillips, G. W. (2010). International Benchmarking: State Education Performance Standards. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research.
Selected Reviewer Comments: "[This] report builds on negative correlation between apparent student proficiency and rigor of performance standards to explain discrepancies and make [the] case for using international benchmarks, based on empirical results." "This resource […] should be a must read for all educators." "The paper makes a strong argument for the position that higher standards expectations leads to higher student achievement and would be useful for discussion and consideration at both the SEA and LEA levels." "[This is an] important resource to consider as states begin to redesign accountability systems based on common standards." "This is a critically important document to the measurement and policy field." "Excellent use of tables and data to support the points made in the article."
Including Performance Assessments in Accountability Systems: A Review of Scale-up Efforts
Author/Provider: Rosann Tung/Center for Collaborative Education
Resource Type: Knowledge
Cost: Free
Length: 60 pages
Website: http://www.ccebos.org/Performance_Assessment_Review_1.10.pdf
Resource Summary: The purpose of this literature and field review is to understand previous efforts at scaling up performance assessments for use across districts and states. Through a systematic description of seven performance assessment scale-up efforts, as well as descriptions of analogous efforts from teacher certification, medicine, and law, this review concludes with implications for future endeavors to integrate performance assessments into accountability systems.
Full Citation: Tung, R. (2010). Including performance assessments in accountability systems: A review of scale-up efforts. Boston, MA: Center for Collaborative Education. Retrieved from http://www.ccebos.org/Performance_Assessment_Review_1.10.pdf.
Selected Reviewer Comments: "Excellent resource, and one that adds value and makes an important contribution to the discussion of assessment and accountability." "This is the best overview of performance assessment in a very long time." "A variety of audiences could consider this information helpful. " "Provides valuable examples of performance evaluations as well as challenges related to technical quality and implementation."
Performance-based Assessment: An international perspective (video file)
Author/Provider: Linda Darling-Hammond
Resource Type: Guidance
Cost: Free
Length: 20 min video file
Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpTT_ewXmKI
Resource Summary: This is Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond's winter 2008 presentation on international practices of performance-based assessment and how these practices compare with American assessments. It has implications for NCLB reform.
Full Citation: Darling-Hammond, L. (2008, Winter). Performance-based Assessment: An international perspective [video file]. Presented by the Forum for Education and Democracy. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/.
Selected Reviewer Comments: "A very useful and informative presentation comparing assessment practices in the US to performance assessments used in many other high-performing countries." "Very important assessment concept to communicate to the field."
National Educational Standards: Getting Beneath the Surface
Author/Provider: Paul E. Barton
Resource Type: Knowledge
Cost: Free
Length: 48 pages
Website: http://www1.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/PICNATEDSTAND.pdf (PDF)
Resource Summary: This Policy Information Perspective aims at increasing our understanding of the history, the facts, the choices, the risks, and the possibilities that are involved in coming to a decision about establishing national standards in a nation that prizes local control of schools. The report offers a number of approaches that might be considered for increasing commonality in what is taught and presents experiences and examples that are being tried across the nation and could provide a basis for new efforts.
Full Citation: Barton, Paul E. 2009. National education standards: Getting beneath the surface. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
Selected Reviewer Comments: “This is an extremely useful discussion of the history, facts, choices, challenges and possibilities surrounding a move towards nations standards.” "It highlights and illuminates many challenges involved with improving instruction and figuring out reasonable, reliable, fair and valid ways of measuring achievement and progress." "Very well timed to the current standards development movement."
Lessons learned about testing: Ten years of work at the National Research Council
Author/Provider: The National Research Council
Resource Type: Knowledge
Cost: Free
Website: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bota/Lessons_Learned_Brochure.pdf (PDF)
Resource Summary: The goal in this booklet is to highlight some of the major research-based principles about education testing, based on ten years of National Research Council’s work. The lessons are geared toward decision makers in education who use large-scale tests, particularly ones that carry high stakes for individuals. The lessons are grouped under four broad topics: uses, design, consequences, and public understanding.
Full Citation: The National Academies. (2007). Lessons learned about testing: Ten years of work at the National Research Council. Washington, DC: Author. from http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bota/Lessons_Learned_Brochure.pdf
Selected Reviewer Comments: “This publication does an excellent job of providing a overview around important topics related to testing and assessments. These include a focus on uses, design, public understanding, and consequences. It addresses important topics for consideration and discussion as assessment practices increase at the state, district, and local school levels.”
“This resource clearly belongs on the AACC website. It represents a concise summary of the research and assessment efforts from the past 10 years.”
“Though most references are to just a few of the documents, which are in the late 1990s up to mid 2000s, the clustering of lessons learned into the four topics is helpful, and provides users with reminders as well as areas to explore further.”
SERVE Website on Assessment
Author/Provider: SERVE
Resource Type: Product/Tool
Cost: Free
Websites: http://www.serve.org/Classroom-Assessment.aspx
http://www.serve.org/Classroom-Assessment.aspx?id=166
Resource Summary: SERVE is one of ten regional educational R&D laboratories funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This section of the SERVE web site is organized into four sections as shown below:
--Improving assessment practices at the classroom level
--Improving assessment practices at the school level
--Assessment and accountability issues at the state level
--Accountability for instructional qualityFull Citation: SERVE Website on Assessment. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from http://www.serve.org/Classroom-Assessment.aspx.
Selected Reviewer Comments: “Depending upon user’s purpose, this could be quite helpful particularly in areas of classroom assessment. Because SERVE is a regional laboratory, it is understandable that some of the content involves or promotes using SERVE’s services, but information is primarily not region-dependent, though some of the state info focus is on the southeast region.”
“This is a valuable website in providing online resources relative to formative assessment practice in the classroom. With a variety of useful tools and links to other resources and sites this website could prove very help to school and district personnel working to promote increased use of formative assessment practice in classrooms. Along with an overview and definition of formative assessment, links give examples of lessons that include information on how teachers can incorporate formative assessment practice within their lessons and teaching practice.”
“I found this resource to be interesting, informative in some places and frustrating in others. It offers some unique links, but in other places the resource feels a bit thin.”
Edutopia Web Section on Comprehensive Assessment
Author/Provider: Edutopia / The George Lucas Educational Foundation
Resource Type: Product/Tool
Cost: Free
Website: http://www.edutopia.org/assessment and http://www.edutopia.org/comprehensive-assessment-introduction
Resource Summary: How Should We Measure Student Learning? Testing represents a commitment to high academic standards and school accountability. When the financial and emotional stakes associated with standardized tests are disproportionately high, this laudable goal becomes distorted.
Full Citation: Edutopia. Comprehensive Assessment. Retrieved October 23, 2009, from http://www.edutopia.org/assessment and http://www.edutopia.org/comprehensive-assessment-introduction
Selected Reviewer Comments: "Useful within a larger study and discussion of components of comprehensive assessment systems." "Practitioners will find the many resources useful."
Measuring skills for the 21st century
Author/Provider: Silva, E. / Education Sector
Resource Type: Knowledge
Cost: Free
Length: 18 pages
Website: http://www.educationsector.org/usr_doc/MeasuringSkills.pdf (PDF)
Resource Summary: This report posits that assessment should better reflect the type of complex skills, thinking, and applied learning that are needed in the 21st Century. The report reviews several current efforts to create new assessments together with the practical challenges of test reliability and the costs with scoring more comprehensive assessments.
Full Citation: Silva, E. (2008). Measuring skills for the 21st century. Washington, D.C: Education Sector.
Selected Reviewer Comments: "The resource provides important information on assessments that help to measure student success at more complex thinking and problem solving activities." "Provides expectation and hope that new assessments are on the horizon, that these efforts may not be as daunting as some may think."
Making college and career readiness the mission for high schools: A guide for state policy makers
Author/Provider: Achieve, Inc. and The Education Trust
Resource Type: Guidance
Cost: Free
Length: 56 pages
Website: http://achieve.org/files/MakingCollegeandCareerReadinesstheMissionforHighSchool.pdf (PDF)
Resource Summary: Measures that Matter is a joint effort by Achieve and The Education Trust to provide strategic and technical assistance to states in creating college- and career-ready assessment and accountability systems that ensure that all students graduate from high school ready to succeed. Achieve and The Education Trust created Measures that Matter by bringing together an advisory group of state and national experts to explore various approaches to high school assessment and accountability. Based on the advisory group input, Achieve and Education Trust conducted research and commissioned white papers on critical topics, and emerged with guidance designed to provide states with the best possible advice for advancing their efforts.
Full Citation: Achieve, Inc. and The Education Trust. (2008, November). Making college and career readiness the mission for high schools: A guide for state policy makers. Washington, D.C: Author.
Selected Reviewer Comments: "The document is a helpful tool and guide to help state leaders thinking about HS career and readiness issues and questions to consider when creating policy impacting districts and schools." "Excellent article and important resource for all states and colleges." "I thought this was a very helpful set of policy recommendations document that could help better align standards and expectations between K-12 and colleges." "There are some very important points made in this report, including a general lack of standardization at the college level."
Assessment Continuum of Schoolwide Improvement Outcomes
Author/Provider: Allen, W., Beltran Avery, M., Matsumoto, C., Hamilton, S., Worthley, D., Russell Ciardi, M., & Allen-Malley, M. New England Comprehensive Assistance Center
Resource Type: Product or Tool
Cost: $49.95
Length: 130 pages
Website: http://www2.edc.org/necac/resources/pubs/continuum.htm
Resource Summary: As their website describes: “The New England Comprehensive Assistance Center offers you a dynamic guide to self-assess, monitor, and engage in continual, systemic improvement for increased student achievement.” The tool contains several features to help school systems develop assessments to reinforce improvement.
Full Citation: Allen, W., Beltran Avery, M., Matsumoto, C., Hamilton, S., Worthley, D., Russell Ciardi, M., & Allen-Malley, M. (2002). Assessment Continuum of Schoolwide Improvement Outcomes. New England Comprehensive Assistance Center.
Selected Reviewer Comments: “This resource is a means to facilitate the move toward interagency and community collaboration in order to improve school wide student achievement. The directions are straightforward and uncomplicated, as well as the forms (both short and long forms) themselves.”
“This tool would be helpful to schools undergoing comprehensive school reform.”
Designing School Accountability Systems: Towards a Framework and Process
Author/Provider: Gong, B., Blank, R.K., & Manise, J.G. Council of Chief State School Officers
Resource Type: Guidance
Cost: Free
Length: 32 pages
Website: http://www.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/designing_school_acct_syst.pdf
Resource Summary: The objective of the study, as described by the authors, is to “assist states in making decisions about designs for accountability systems” (p.1). Furthermore, the resource shows “three different views of accountability design to address states needs” (p.2).
- “an elaborated framework with questions, criteria, and comments, intended to provide a structure for helping states move through the process of designing a school accountability system” (p.2).
- “a concise checklist of characteristics to help states evaluate the consistency and coherence of existing programs” (p.2).
- “examples of the actual state experience with design features that might be considered and why” (p.2).
Full Citation: Gong, B., Blank, R.K., & Manise, J.G. (2002). Designing School Accountability Systems: Towards framework and process. Washington D.C.: Council of Chief State School Officers.
Selected Reviewer Comments: “This document would be especially helpful for those states that do not have a solid foundation or those that lack experience in effective systems. This guidance would also be useful for professional development purposes (in-services, workshops, conferences), as it provides the reader with a fundamental understanding of accountability systems.”
Designing Schoolwide Programs: Non-Regulatory Guidance
Author/Provider: U.S. Department of Education
Resource Type: Guidance
Cost: Free
Length: 52 pages
Download: http://www.aacompcenter.org/pdf/design_school_guidance.pdf
Resource Summary: This document was meant to complement the No Child Left Behind Act and serve as a “technical assistance resource” for schools (p. 2). This resource contains guidance for “the comprehensive needs assessment, the comprehensive plan, and the annual program evaluation” for schools (p. 2).
Full Citation: U.S. Department of Education. (2006). Designing school wide programs: Non-regulatory guidance. Retrieved August 16, 2006, from website.
Selected Reviewer Comments: “Very useful resource—clear, well written and relevant to all schools.”
“For schools and districts evaluating data software to meet their needs, this site seems very helpful.”
The 18th Education Trust National Conference
Author/Provider: The Education Trust (EdTrust)
Resource Type: Service
Cost: $375
Length: Varies
Website: http://www2.edtrust.org/EdTrust/Conferences+and+Meetings/CONF2K7+Homepage.htmResource Summary: The Education Trust National Conference focuses on raising achievement for all students. Each conference brings together educators and others who are struggling to close opportunity and achievement gaps in their communities and states. Presentations are designed to provide both information and inspiration.
Full Citation: The Education Trust. The 18th Education Trust National Conference. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from http://www2.edtrust.org/EdTrust/Conferences+and+Meetings/CONF2K7+Homepage.htm. See also, The Education Trust. Past Education Trust National Conference Programs and Presentations. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from http://www2.edtrust.org/EdTrust/Conferences+and+Meetings/Natpastconfs.htm.
Selected Reviewer Comments: “The 2007 program featured interesting and relevant topics on closing the achievement gap. The presenters were a mix of researchers, policy makers, and practitioners with broad viewpoints.”
“Provides impetus to states to improve achievement for the lowest performing groups.”
“I think the EdTrust group provides a voice for students who may not be able to speak for themselves.”
Education Watch 2006 State Summary Reports
Author/Provider: The Education Trust (EdTrust)
Resource Type: Product/Tools
Cost: Free
Length: Varies
Website: http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/summaries2006/states.htmlResource Summary: The Education Watch 2006 State Summary Reports provide a snapshot of student achievement and the condition of public education in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the nation.
Full Citation: The Education Trust. Education Watch 2006 State Summary Reports. Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/summaries2006/states.html.
Selected Reviewer Comments: “Great first link page and excellent charts in state reports.”
“An innovative resource that highlights achievement gaps.”
Foundations for Success: Case Studies of How Urban School Systems Improve Student Achievement
Author/Provider: Snipes, J., Doolittle, F., & Herilihy, C. Council of Great City Schools
Resource Type: Knowledge
Cost: Free
Length: 7 pages
Website: http://www.mdrc.org/publications/47/execsum.html
Resource Summary: This study provides case studies of certain urban school districts that focus “on the potential role of the school district as an initiator and sustainer of academic improvement” (p. 1).
Full Citation: Snipes, J., Doolittle, F., & Herilihy, C. (2002). Foundations for success: Case Studies of how urban school systems improve student achievement. Washington, DC: Council of the Great City Schools.
Selected Reviewer Comments: “Very useful resource, well written and raises many issues that are relevant to NCLB goals.”
“This is a useful research report that highlights many of the things that successful school districts do or should be doing to increase student achievement.”
Mapping a Course for Improved Student Learning
Author/Provider: Supovitz, J.A. & Klein, V., Consortium for Policy Research in Education: University of Pennsylvania
Resource Type: Knowledge
Cost: Free
Length: 49 pages
Website: http://www.wallacefoundation.org/ELAN/TR/KnowledgeCategories/
Resource Summary: The authors describe this study as: “about building better roadmaps for teachers and school leaders in order to guide their instructional decision-making” (p. 1). They “seek to develop a framework to help education leaders develop more robust systems for collecting, synthesizing, and analyzing student performance data in a variety of forms in order to improve teaching and learning” (p. 2).
Full Citation: Supovitz, J.A. & Klein, V. (2003). Mapping a course for improved student learning: How innovative schools systematically use student performance data to guide improvement. University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education: Center on Reinventing Public Education.
Selected Reviewer Comments: “This study is descriptive and informative. [The] evidence provided in this study may support work or improvement of other schools.”
“This is a practical resource for leaders who are beginning to use data systematically. Those who are sophisticated in data use will likely find the report to be fairly basic in terms of describing a system for data use but districts just starting out should find it useful.”
National Conference on Large-Scale Assessment (Annual Conference)
Author/Provider: Council of Chief State School Officers
Resource Type: Service
Cost: About $400 for registration fees
Website: http://www.ccsso.org/projects/national_conference_on_ large_scale_assessment/8399.cfm
Resource Summary: This annual conference covers a broad range of topics pertaining large-scale assessment. Usually held in June, the conference includes more than 100 sessions.
Full Citation: This year’s conference is in Nashville, Tennessee, June 17-20, 2007. A draft agenda is on the CCSSO website.
Selected Reviewer Comments: “This web-based link to presentation materials from the 2006 CCSSO Conference on Large Scale Assessment provides valuable resources for addressing numerous topics related to large scale assessments.”
“This conference is a valuable opportunity for state representatives and also researchers to learn about work in the research arena and in state departments of education around large scale assessment.”
Similar Students, Different Results: Why Do Some Schools Do Better?
Author/Provider: Williams, T., Kirst, M., Haertel, E., et al., Ed Source
Resource Type: Knowledge
Cost: Yes
Download: http://www.aacompcenter.org/pdf/sim_stu_05.pdf
Resource Summary: Using a sample of school districts from California, the researchers looked for reasons that similar schools had different scores on the California Academic Performance Index.
Full Citation: Williams, T., Kirst, M., Haertel, E., et al. (2005) Similar Students, different results: Why do some schools do better? A large-scale survey of California elementary schools serving low-income students. Mountain View, CA: EdSource.
Selected Reviewer Comments: This study was conducted by highly respected researchers. The study provides good information on factors that contribute to student achievement.”
What states can learn about state standards and assessment systems from No Child Left Behind documents and interviews with Central Region assessment directors
Author/Provider: Palmer, E. A., & Barley, Z. A. / U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Central
Resource Type: Knowledge
Cost: Free
Length: 33 pages
Download: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/central/pdf/REL_2008036.pdf
Resource Summary: The purpose of this study is to describe the No Child Left Behind requirements for state standards and assessment systems. The authors examined official documents and peer review decision letters and included interviews with state assessment directors in the Central Region to highlight the challenges states face in developing and implementing approved systems.
Full Citation: Palmer, E. A., & Barley, Z. A. (2008) What states can learn about state standards and assessment systems from No Child Left Behind documents and interviews with Central Region assessment directors. (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2008-No. 036). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Central. Retrieved on May 13, 2008 from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/central/pdf/REL_2008036.pdf
Selected Reviewer Comments: “[This resource will] be very helpful to many state test directors and their staff.” “Excellently laid out, pleasant visuals, and useful charts and tables.”
