July 2008

Wagging the Dog: Leaning into the Future of State Assessment and Accountability

By Jill Conrad
Senior Consultant for Policy & Planning Services
McREL

As leaders consider the new demands for 21st century learners—post-secondary readiness, workforce preparation, and skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving, — new conversations concerning the role of state assessment and accountability systems are popping up. State leaders, mindful of the ways in which current standards and assessments may not adequately measure mastery of these thinking and learning skills, are looking at new possibilities for assessment. Should this conversation be about improving upon the current approach or completely transforming the approach all together?