The next generation of state assessment and accountability 

Assessment has long had a prominent — and controversial — role in American education, and that’s never been more true than today. But a new federal law gives states and districts an opportunity to move assessment forward. 

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act 15 years ago, state tests have played an outsized role in schools. The goal of the law was to create incentives for educators to focus on student achievement, but the law defined tests as the sole measure of outcomes. As a result, schools faced enormous pressures to raise test scores, which shaped classroom practice as teachers focused on the material in the tests and spent time on test preparation activities.