A New Era of Test-Based Educational Accountability

摘要

I thank Isaac Bejar for organizing this issue and for asking me to be a part of it. With Race to the Top Assessment Program proposals (U.S. Department of Education, April 2010) recently due, the topic of innovations in test-based educational accountability is certainly timely. The 5 papers in this issue provide much food for thought during the anticipated transition from the test-based accountability system that currently is in place, largely to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), to a system that is called for in the Race to the Top Assessment Program.rnThe Race to the Top Assessment Program is expected to provide awards of $160,000,000 to 1 or 2 consortia of states for the development of comprehensive assessment systems over a period of up to 48 months. The program is also expected to provide an award of $30,000,000 to a consortium of states to develop high school course assessment programs.