The high cost of low-cost testing

The high cost of low-cost testing

A new report from the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education argues that spending on standardized testing must support higher-quality assessments with open-ended and performance tasks that measure complex learning, scored by teachers and by sophisticated artificial-intelligence engines. Although apparently low in cost, today's state testing programs are fragmented, disjointed efforts, unable to measure the most important learning goals, and not useful toward understanding how students think or what help they need. Current investments, which total less than half of 1 percent of overall per-pupil spending, could support assessments that tap critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The report calls for a coherent system that not only provides assessments of deeper learning but also offers formative supports for instruction and interim tools so teachers can make formative evaluations. States can achieve this goal by: understanding how state and local components of a high-quality assessment system can operate together; taking advantage of cost savings associated with multi-state consortia and use of technology for online delivery and scoring and reporting; involving teachers in developing and scoring assessments in ways that support teachers' professional learning; and combining state and local resources strategically. The question for policymakers must shift from, "Can we afford assessments of deeper learning?" to "Can the United States afford not to have such high-quality assessments?" More
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