How Can Simulations Be Components of Balanced State Science Assessment Systems?
This policy brief offers guidance and recommendations on how simulation-based science assessments can be included in the next generation of state science assessment systems. The authors report on research conducted on the simulation-based science assessment module SimScientists. The reported...
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Interactive Computer Tasks (ICTs)
In 2009, NAEP administered two types of innovative science assessments: Hands-on Tasks (HOTs) and Interactive Computer Tasks (ICTs). The released tasks include samples of innovative item types and innovative evidence types to demonstrate how hard-to-measure constructs, similar to what are called...
Next Generation Science Assessment Project
The Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) team is developing technology-enhanced assessment tasks, rubrics, and accompanying instructional resources in physical science and life science for middle school classrooms. The project aims to create exemplary tasks that can be used during instruction...
Capacity Enablers and Barriers for Learning Analytics: Implications for Policy and Practice
Learning analytics, as defined in this report, is “the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs.” This report describes learning analytics initiatives...
Benchmarking State Implementation of College- and Career-Readiness Standards, Aligned Assessments and Related Reforms: Cross-State Findings
The Southern Regional Education Board conducted a multi-year study of how 14 states are implementing college- and career-ready standards. This report is part of a series for the "Benchmarking State Implementation of Common Core Standards" project.
A New Era for Educational Assessment
From the abstract: "In this article, David Conley focuses on how to assess meaningful learning in ways that promote student achievement while simultaneously meeting system accountability needs. The article draws upon research that supports the notion that a major shift in educational assessment is...
Technology Guidelines
This webpage provides information on the type of hardware (e.g., computers and tablets) and web browsers that are required for the practice tests. Click here for the PARCC SystemCheck Tool for TestNav.
Transition Planning for Next-Generation Assessments
This resource is a seven-page checklist for helping states plan and implement technology-based assessments. Users of this guide should be sure to read its companion piece, Considerations for Next-Generation Assessments: A Roadmap to 2014.