Standardized test results have been the defining measure of student achievement and school quality since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) became law more than a decade ago. Additional policies have reinforced the use of test results in high-stakes decision making about students, teachers, and schools. Unfortunately, this singular focus has led to several consequences, including overtesting, a narrowing of the curriculum, and a de-emphasis on untested subjects and concepts—such as the arts, civics, and social and emotional skills—that are just as important to our students' development and success.
We need to pause to replace the current system with a new vision that positions testing as merely one component for evaluating progress and not the main driver of student learning and school improvement.
ASCD's testing and accountability statement, released in February, calls for a two-year moratorium on using state assessments for high-stakes purposes. During this pause, states should administer assessments and communicate the results to districts, schools, and families—but without the threat of punitive sanctions. The moratorium would provide time for educators, policymakers, and the public to carefully consider the appropriate use of tests in decision-making processes. The pause would also allow time to develop new accountability models that recognize each student's comprehensive development and support a broader, more accurate definition of college, career, and citizenship readiness.
The statement builds on ASCD's 2015 Legislative Agenda, which recommends a federal education policy that establishes a multimetric accountability system and reduces the reliance on standardized testing.