Policy Influences on Ambitious Classroom Instruction, Assessment, and Learning

• In Event: Toward Balanced Assessment Systems: Considerations for Implementation and Use

Abstract

This paper aims to build on and update the contributions of numerous other authors who have discussed policy influences on teaching, learning, and assessment, both in the context of balanced assessment systems and more generally. Its content reflects the growing interest in policy to support balanced assessment systems that promote ambitious, high-quality, and equitable learning opportunities for all students. The paper is structured in three sections. The first provides a brief history of policies related to assessment and examines their role in supporting teaching and learning. The second section builds on that discussion to explore the limitations of previously enacted policies in promoting ambitious instruction. It considers education policy as a reflection of values and assumptions about the purposes of schooling and discusses how these values and assumptions relate to assessment. The final section discusses the implications for designing and implementing policies that promote a balanced approach to assessment and proposes a set of guiding principles and considerations for policy actors.

Authors

• Laura S. Hamilton, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc.

• Jose-Felipe Martinez, University of California - Los Angeles