Accountability and assessment in U.S. education: let's not allow another crisis go to waste

State education systems in the U.S. experienced major disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from assessments administered during, and at the conclusion of, the 2020-21 school year indicate substantial 'unfinished learning', with the losses generally greater among disadvantaged...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Assessment in education : principles, policy & practice policy & practice, 2022-09, Vol.29 (5), p.555-574
Main Authors: Braun, Henry I., Marion, Scott F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic achievement
Accountability
balanced assessment systems
comparability
Comparative Analysis
COVID-19
Disadvantaged
Educational Assessment
Educational Change
Educational Innovation
Educational Legislation
Educational systems
Elementary Secondary Education
ESSA
Federal Legislation
innovation
Learning
Pandemics
Radicalism
Student Evaluation
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Summary:State education systems in the U.S. experienced major disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from assessments administered during, and at the conclusion of, the 2020-21 school year indicate substantial 'unfinished learning', with the losses generally greater among disadvantaged and marginalized students. States' assessment systems are strongly tilted toward meeting Federal accountability requirements, especially state-wide comparability of end-of year test results, which severely limits innovation. The two-year pause in accountability due to the pandemic presents an opportunity to radically rethink school accountability, allowing states greater flexibility in developing creative interventions and more balanced assessment systems to better support student learning. A new trade-off between comparability and local flexibility is long overdue, especially given the poor record of the current system in promoting learning and closing achievement gaps. We offer some examples of how the trade-off can be accomplished and the potential benefits that would ensue.
ISSN:0969-594X
1465-329X
DOI:10.1080/0969594X.2022.2068503