National curriculum reform is a complex negotiation point of how basic education should be practiced and what role it should take in society. The question of participation in this process is central to creating a coherent, responsible, and implementable curriculum--but still left for little investigation in the national level reforms. Our goal was…

This article, which is intended as a contribution to wider conversations around music literacy, explores current conceptions of music literacy within the UK, using the area of aural skills training as a focus. Specifically, it considers the nature of music literacy and aural training in secondary (ages 11-18) music curricula and the role of aural…

Introduction: The analysis of the reforms in the pre-university education system carried out in Albania after the changes in the political and economic system, 1992-2022, is the object of this study. Methods: The study was conducted as a "desk study". The assessment on the quality of the reforms carried out was carried out using the…

Shifts in the education system to more student-centered learning will require state and local education agencies to rethink how they do their work. Current accountability systems focus on compliance with standards, as demonstrated in annual summative assessments. Mark Elgart explains that a new approach to accountability will offer more authentic…

In this article, the author reflects upon the changes assessment professionals have faced because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Against the background of stressed faculty and staff and falling student enrollment, lower retention, and graduation rates, assessment professional must consider how to talk about the "quality" of student learning…

Assessment makes visible what we value and reciprocally what is assessed tends to become what is taken to be of value. Building on this, it can be argued that assessment does more than measure what is present rather it 'makes up' people. This piece offers a reflective commentary some of the insights to be gained from the Research Analysis and…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) invited states to use multiple measures of "higher-order thinking skills and understanding," including "extended-performance tasks," to create state assessment systems that support teaching for deeper learning. However, few states have been able to navigate federal assessment requirements…

This paper discusses the unprecedented challenges and possible directions in which the field of educational assessment is going after the outbreak of COVID-19. Though the pandemic leads to a lot of pressure related to instruction, learning, and assessment, it also provides opportunities that are likely to require changes to the current theories…

State education systems in the U.S. experienced major disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from assessments administered during, and at the conclusion of, the 2020-21 school year indicate substantial 'unfinished learning', with the losses generally greater among disadvantaged and marginalized students. States' assessment systems are…

Under President Biden in fiscal year 2023, the United States absorbed more than 3 million illegal aliens--the highest number in its history. Since public schools must enroll minors regardless of immigration status, unchecked illegal migration over the past three years has possibly cost the public education system billions of dollars. Large…

This case illustrates Professor Saitoh's struggles in a middle-management position leading an education committee called the Assurance of Learning (AOL) Committee at a business school in Japan. The committee assessed students' learning outcomes and provided suggestions for curriculum improvement. The school was accredited by the Association to…

In "The Enduring Promise of America's Great City Schools," Michael Casserly presents a forthright assessment of the past performance and future potential of large urban PreK-12 school districts in the United States. From a vantage of nearly five decades of work within the Council of the Great City Schools, which now represents…

There is a growing call to reconsider current approaches to national and state assessment system policies and practices. State and local education agency leaders, educators, community leaders, and advocates have voiced concerns that current state assessment systems--defined primarily by end-of-year multiple-choice tests--are unable to meet…

This article is a written adaptation of the Presidential address I gave at the NCME annual conference in April 2018. The article describes my thoughts on the future of assessment. I discuss eleven likely characteristics of future tests and, for each characteristic, why I think it is important and what to watch with respect to it. Next, I outline…

This chapter considers the relationship between pedagogical support offered by centers for teaching and learning (CTLs) and newer services such as assessment and educational technologies through the lens of gender, arguing that changes to the structure, mission, and staffing of CTLs may have unintended consequences if these unexamined, gendered…