accountability

The purpose of this study was to: 1) determine the amount of money a typical state would incur to implement a high-quality assessment (HQA) system including performance components in comparison to the amount currently being spent on their state assessment, and 2) determine if various cost-...

In 2008, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) invited a team of researchers, including the authors, to study schools within the city, including elementary schools that were, like those profiled in High Schools for Equity, achieving strong educational outcomes with low-...

This paper recommends an accountability approach that focuses on meaningful learning, enabled by professionally skilled and committed educators, and supported by adequate and appropriate resources, so that all students regardless of background are prepared for both college and career when they...

This research brief describes practical and measurable indicators of career as well as college readiness that the state and districts can look to as they develop accountability plans. The report includes specific information about how performance assessment can be used to measure student...

The purpose of this resource from CCSSO is to assist states who are interested in redesigning or reconsidering aspects of their accountability systems to better align with “next-generation” learning models designed to produce college and career ready outcomes for all students.

This study provides an overview of the landscape of next-generation accountability concepts implemented by states. In reviewing the work of the states and drawing upon the thinking in both CCSSO’s 2011 proposal and “Accountability for College and Career Readiness: Developing a New Paradigm” by...

This report from Linda Darling-Hammond and David Plank profiles the role of California's new accountability system. California’s new accountability system is different from the previous system in nearly every important respect. The new system is grounded in the concept of reciprocal...

This paper from Linda Darling-Hammond, Gene Wilhoit, and Linda Pittenger recommends an accountability approach that focuses on meaningful learning, enabled by professionally skilled and committed educators, and supported by adequate and appropriate resources, so that all students are prepared...

This paper seeks to clarify the responsibilities of policy makers to create the conditions for an effective accountability system that produces substantial improvements in student learning, strengthens the teaching profession, and provides transparency of results to the public. The authors point...

A number of factors account for the failure of performance assessment to capture a large role in achievement testing in the U.S., and this history can inform educators and education policymakers looking for better ways to test students and schools in an era of standards-based accountability.  ...

This paper argues that halting testing won't fix flawed assessment and accountability systems.  Instead, the authors advocate improving the system of assessments to improve what is taught in school.  After outlining performance assessments, the paper outlines political and policy recommenations...

In this paper, Bae and Darling-Hammond propose three types of performance indicators for use in California's redesigned accountability system to measure and support career and college readiness. The report includes specific guidance for the use of performance assessment to measure both college...

This report shows how the design of high school graduation policies can have important consequences for teaching, learning, and student attainment. It contrasts the results of single-test approaches to graduation with those of states using a broader range of measures to award a high school...

This article authored by Linda Darling Hammond for CCSSO, outlines the criteria for a Student Assessment System, which should:

• address the depth and breadth of standards as well as all areas of the curriculum, not just those that are easy to measure.
• consider and include all
...

This paper by Linda Darling-Hammond outlines how states can achieve the goal of making high-quality assessments both affordable and feasible to implement while strengthening teaching and learning at the same time. States that seek such a system can achieve their goals by:

• Understanding...

This paper by Linda Darling-Hammond and Ray Pecheone outlines a set of principles that are shared by the systems of high‐achieving nations as well as a number of high‐achieving states in the United States. These systems include the following:

• Assessments are grounded in a thoughtful,...

In this paper, David Miller and Robert Linn outline six aspects of construct validation to guide the validation of performance based assessments: content, substantive, structural, generalizability, external, and consequential. Each aspect is discussed, with the focus on studies that could be...

This report by Ace Parsi and Linda Darling-Hammond is intended to familiarize state boards of education with performance assessments and help policymakers address some of the thorniest issues around these assessments: purpose, sustainability, reliability, accountability, policy...

This paper by Raymond L. Pecheone and Stuart Kahl describes efforts by states to use performance assessment in large-scale state accountability systems and highlights promising practices that can a basis for broadening how the nation approaches assessement and accountability. Lessons from...

This paper offers a retrospective research study of performance assessment initiatives beginning in the 1990s up to today.  The study addresses three specific questions: 

• What were the conditions that helped sustain some of the programs? 

• What were the challenges that led to...