State Planning Tool for Standards-Based Accountability Under ESSA

Posted on February 28, 2017March 31, 2021 by coreeducation

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) presents states with an opportunity to broaden their visions of college and career readiness by including multiple measures of accountability that better recognize the multiple pathways to college and career readiness. A new resource from the College & Career Readiness & Success Center at AIR provides states Read more about State Planning Tool for Standards-Based Accountability Under ESSA[…]

Multiple Measures Done Right: The 7 Principles of Coherent Assessment Systems

Posted on January 19, 2017January 13, 2017 by coreeducation

With the new ESSA regulations requiring accountability systems based on multiple measures, a new guide from researchers at the not-for-profit NWEA provides educators with actionable steps they can begin implementing immediately. Multiple Measures Done Right outlines the seven principles of developing coherent assessment systems that go beyond compliance to support student learning. The guide was Read more about Multiple Measures Done Right: The 7 Principles of Coherent Assessment Systems[…]

21st Century Learning Exemplar Programs

Posted on December 21, 2016March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

The 21st Century Learning Exemplar Program highlights best practices in schools and districts across the country that are preparing students for college, career and life by embedding critical 21st century competencies into the learning environment. Currently there are 75 exemplars across the country. P21 will accept applications to be part of the 2017-2018 21st Century Read more about 21st Century Learning Exemplar Programs[…]

Most Students Aren’t on Track for Success

Posted on October 24, 2016October 22, 2016 by coreeducation

In May, a new organization called Learning Heroes released a survey with a startling finding: 90 percent of parents believe that their children are performing at “grade level” or higher in their schoolwork. Setting aside the debate over what “grade level” even means, by any reasonable definition many of these parents, if they are being Read more about Most Students Aren’t on Track for Success[…]

Comparisons of NAEP Results: Two Points of View

Posted on May 31, 2016May 27, 2016 by coreeducation

Below, two articles are excerpted that come to very different conclusions about the recent NAEP results for high school seniors. Education Week author Liana Heitin writes: High school seniors have lost ground in math over the last two years, according to the most recent scores on a national achievement test. In reading, 12th grade scores remained Read more about Comparisons of NAEP Results: Two Points of View[…]

Shifts in the National Assessment Landscape

Posted on April 12, 2016April 12, 2016 by coreeducation

An Education Week survey of states’ testing plans in English/language arts and math—the two subjects covered by the Common Core—found that states have continued in 2015-16 to drift away from the tests designed by the assessment corsortia, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, and Smarter Balanced tests. Here’s how Read more about Shifts in the National Assessment Landscape[…]

National Benchmarks for State Achievement Standards

Posted on March 11, 2016March 4, 2016 by coreeducation

State achievement standards represent how much the state expects their students to learn in order to reach various levels of academic proficiency. In the past, these achievement standards were used by each state to report adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind federal legislation, and are now being used for federal reporting under the Read more about National Benchmarks for State Achievement Standards[…]

Building a Powerful State Instructional System for All Students

Posted on March 4, 2016February 26, 2016 by coreeducation

Education Week author Marc Tucker describes what NCEE has learned about the design of the instructional systems used by top-performing countries and suggest ways in which U.S. states can adapt those lessons for use in their own state system under the Every Student Succeeds Act. He defines “instructional system” as a system that combines standards Read more about Building a Powerful State Instructional System for All Students[…]

States Are Raising the Bar

Posted on March 1, 2016February 26, 2016 by coreeducation

A study, published in the journal Education Next, finds that since 2011, 45 states have raised the levels at which students are considered “proficient” on state tests. Thirty-six of the 45 did so within just the last two years. The report is the seventh in a series that examines states’ proficiency rates over the past Read more about States Are Raising the Bar[…]

Consequences of Using College Readiness Exams for High School Accountability

Posted on January 28, 2016January 23, 2016 by coreeducation

In the past few weeks, Colorado dropped PARCC for the SAT at the high school level, and Delaware and Montana have dropped Smarter Balanced for the SAT (Delaware) and ACT (Montana). New flexibility under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) makes the use of college readiness exams for high school accountability easier than ever. States Read more about Consequences of Using College Readiness Exams for High School Accountability[…]

Your Guide to Finding and Using PARCC Test Items

Posted on January 26, 2016January 23, 2016 by coreeducation

Did you know that parents and teachers can view PARCC test items from last year’s test? Almost 850 of the test questions are online in the Partnership Resource Center. This guide is designed to help you easily navigate the many test questions and related materials, including sample student responses to open-ended test questions, such as Read more about Your Guide to Finding and Using PARCC Test Items[…]

Implementation is the New Innovation

Posted on December 23, 2015September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

With the Obama administration’s signature education initiative, Race to the Top, concluded, states and districts should resist the temptation to try new reforms and should focus on improving implementation of the initiatives adopted to increase student success and close achievement gaps. A new report by Education First, a national education policy organization that worked closely Read more about Implementation is the New Innovation[…]

State of the States 2015: Evaluating Teaching, Leading, Learning

Posted on December 21, 2015December 16, 2015 by coreeducation

A new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) examines the policy landscape of teacher and principal evaluations, as well as various states’ successes in using evaluations to inform teacher practice and administrative decisions. As of 2015, twenty-seven states require annual evaluations for all teachers, and forty-five require annual evaluations for all new, Read more about State of the States 2015: Evaluating Teaching, Leading, Learning[…]

California’s Common Core aligned High School Exams Save Money

Posted on December 16, 2015December 11, 2015 by coreeducation

In California, high school exams that are aligned with the Common Core are being accepted as proof that high school students are ready for college level work. These exam results are also saving students from having to take individual placement tests and remedial not-for-credit courses before being allowed to take for-credit classes. One of the Read more about California’s Common Core aligned High School Exams Save Money[…]

The U.S. Falls Behind in Global Education Economy

Posted on December 11, 2015December 4, 2015 by coreeducation

A recent report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that the U.S. is sending a smaller percentage of students to college than at least 46 different nations. Additionally, enrollment in preschool has fallen in the U.S. and has exploded internationally. In fact: The more than 500-page report analyzed the education systems Read more about The U.S. Falls Behind in Global Education Economy[…]

State Summative Assessments Report for 2015-2016 School Year

Posted on December 3, 2015November 30, 2015 by coreeducation

This report, conducted by the Education Commission on the States, looks at the shifting assessment landscape and identifies the types of assessment being given, at what grade levels, and for what subjects. This information was compiled in an effort to keep states and policy makers up to date on the current assessments being given and Read more about State Summative Assessments Report for 2015-2016 School Year[…]