Assessment HQ Event Series Explores How to Best Measure Learning Loss during COVID-19

And that’s a wrap! We’re happy to report that our Assessment HQ event series was a success! To assist experts and policymakers in starting conversations around learning loss amid school closures, the Collaborative for Student Success hosted a series of discussions on Assessment HQ focusing on the “COVID slide” and the role of assessments in gauging where students stand in these unprecedented times. The conversations were led by Dale Chu, the author of the Testing 1-2-3 blog on AssessmentHQ.org. Dale and other education experts had thoughtful discussion topics such as learning loss, the effectiveness of diagnostic tools, and how the lack of spring 2020 state assessment data will complicate accountability systems.

The first event, titled “Measurement Matters,” focused on why measuring learning loss is an important issue, and the tools available to do so.

The second event in the series, “Diagnostic Dilemma” focused on the challenges and opportunities of implementing instructionally informative assessment options.

And the last event “Summative Spring” focused on the complications for accountability systems amid a lack of spring 2020 state assessment data and look ahead to the spring 2021 assessment landscape.

In Pursuit of Equity, Thousands Sign Petition to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos

More than 8,000 Americans have signed a petition calling on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to instill more transparency in how funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act are spent. Civil rights groups in several states have joined the Collaborative for Student Success in advocating for the change. States so far with the most signers include Michigan, North Carolina, Washington, California, and Georgia.

The CARES Act provides much-needed funding to our K-12 state education agencies during this crisis. But the Collaborative for Student Success wants to ensure they are used to get help for the students who need it most. Without access to the funds, America’s most vulnerable students – such as those living in poverty, those with disabilities and those who are English learners – risk falling further behind their peers amid this crisis.

A National Survey to Explore How Students Will “Catch Up”

Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, schools across the country are closed and may remain so for the rest of the academic year. While education leaders have been working tirelessly to address the immediate needs of students, we must also look ahead to the next phase of this crisis and begin discussing how to help students “catch up” from this unprecedented learning disruption.

Fortunately, experts and practitioners in the field have been weighing multiple options to address the gaps that will exist due to lost instruction time. We recognize that though these are options that we’ve seen, there are pros and cons of each, and they may not fully encompass all the ideas out there.

To help inform these discussions, the Collaborative for Student Success launched a nationwide survey of administrators, teachers, policymakers, and education advocates.

National and State Organizations Call for Equity and Transparency in CARES Act Education Funds

On March 31, 2020, the Collaborative for Student Success joined 11 education and civil rights organizations in calling on Secretary DeVos and the Department of Education to ensure that funding included in the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act reaches students with the highest need.

For more information, and to read the letter in full, click the button below.

ESSA Turns 4 Summit

On December 10, 2019, Collaborative for Student Success hosted an afternoon Summit with thoughtful discussion on implementation of the Every Student Succeed Act. Co-hosted with Education Week and moderated by Alyson Klein, Evie Blad, Andrew Ujifusa, and Daarel Burnette, the event featured conversations with ESSA’s congressional authors, plus discussions on equity and school improvement, accountability and testing, school finance data, and the Military Student Identifier.

More information and resources will be forthcoming, but be sure to check out a recap of the day on Capitol Hill.

Faltering Reading Results from Latest NAEP Release Spur Action

Last month, there was disappointing news in the education world. The 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) release showed a decrease across 17 states in 4th grade reading and 31 states in 8th grade reading as well as a widening of the achievement gap over the last decade between the highest performing and lowest performing students. While the results show that high performers continue to grow, they also highlight the fact that not every student has access to a high-quality education. In efforts to improve conditions for mastering reading, Collaborative for Student Success announced a collective effort with 11 organizations representing the education and civil rights communities to address the NAEP reading outcomes.

A new tool for student proficiency data

Assessment HQ is a unique online platform that takes the guesswork and risk of misinformation out of state annual assessments by providing transparency on student proficiency and state testing decisions. For the first time, student proficiency data for more than half of states in grades 3-8 will be publicly available online, and in one location, for anyone to view and use.

How are states addressing the needs of their lowest-performing schools?

We partnered with HCM Strategists to find out how states were approaching school improvement.

See how your state measures up

The Check State Plans project is based on the belief that states need to embrace the flexibility ESSA offers them, and that their plans should implement strong state-level accountability systems. See what’s in your state’s plan.