In this paper, David Conley and Linda Darling-Hammond describe how two multistate assessment consortia are being designed to measure how well students achieve the goals of the Common Core State Standards. As planned, the new consortia assessments should be a significant advance over most states’ existing tests; however, they will not be able to measure all of the Common Core Standards—especially those that require in-depth inquiry, extended communication, and 21st century skills like collaboration and the use of technologies.
To prepare students for college and careers in the 21st century economy, educational systems will need to pay attention to all of these abilities. The needed transformations in curriculum, instruction, and assessment will depend on states moving beyond their current testing systems to new systems of assessment that are able to support the development of deeper learning skills, to generate instructionally useful diagnostic information, and to provide insights about a wider range of student capacities that are actionable by students and inform parents, colleges, employers, and policymakers.
