In just over a year from now, the vast majority of states are planning to transition to Common Core-aligned assessments. This transition is a crucial step in fully implementing the new standards, as these assessments will measure the extent to which students are mastering the content and skills embedded in the standards-something most current state assessments simply cannot do.
The push to meet this milestone is pressure-packed. The clock is ticking, and state policymakers are working hard to discern fact from fiction and to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape so they can understand, communicate and weigh their options effectively.
Education First has been working with state leaders, foundations and other organizations to provide information, analysis and strategic support to facilitate sound decision-making and implementation of high-quality, Common Core-aligned assessments. This deck–A Primer on Common Core-Aligned Assessments—distills and synthesizes the key issues involved, and provides the most up-to-date resource on the content, use, purpose and quality of current state tests and PARCC, SBAC and ACT Aspire.
To read the Primer go to:
http://www.education-first.com/files/A_Primer_on_Common_Core-Aligned_Assessments_Education_First.pdf
