A White House official said that the Obama administration wants to see school districts move forward in making native-language assessments available for English-language learners. Read Full Post >
We may not agree, either, on the kind of evidence that we need to use as we revise our schemes, as they go from inside our heads, to paper and pencil to actual implementation. Read Full Post >
New tests for the Common Core State Standards Initiative should pay particular attention to how formative tests designed within the assessment systems can improve outcomes form English-language learners, a researcher from WestEd contends in a paper released this week. Read Full Post >
The journal Science is publishing a study finding that, in an introductory college physics course, students placed in an experimental, collaborative-learning class performed significantly better on an end-of-course exam than students who were given a traditional lecture-based class. Read Full Post >
Key challenges accompany the endeavor to move from paper-and-pencil tests to computer tests, including the need for a larger and better-designed pool of test, enough computers, and the money to pay for it all. Read Full Post >
Organizers of a manifesto against common standards, curriculum and tests launch another volley in the argument with those who support them. Read Full Post >
Because states set their own prices for the GED, tight budgets could drive up the price of that exam. Read Full Post >
In case you missed the fireworks last week, Diane Ravitch recaps the negative reaction to Education Secretary Arne Duncan's open letter to teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. A memorable way of putting it: It [the letter] should have been about as controversial as the president's annual Tha... Read Full Post >
A leader of a group working on common assessments joins the U.S. Department of Education. Read Full Post >
Political blogger Matthew Yglesias points to a new report showing that nearly half of adults in Detroit are functionally illiterate. In that light, he contends, it's hard to argue against the need for standardized testing in schools: Under those circumstances, I find it difficult to be seized with... Read Full Post >
