We need a new approach to student assessment

This system is not just an idea. It is being successfully piloted in Montana, where the Montana Alternative Student Testing program provides teachers with immediate feedback in English/language arts and math using a series of short, curriculum-aligned tests throughout the year. The pilot began last year and has so far included more than 30 districts and 5,000 students in grades 5 and 7.

The “classroom up” approach in Montana is an important shift in statewide assessment. Educators participated in designing the tests, and the results from this collaboration will support and empower them.

It is now being expanded to grades 3 through 8 in the 2023-2024 school year, and Montana is seeking a one-year waiver from the U.S. Department of Education to remove the burden of double-testing for schools participating in next year’s assessment. Under No Child Left Behind, waivers were granted when states were transitioning to high-quality assessments under Race to the Top. If it is granted, Montana and New Meridian have committed to producing a statewide, operational assessment for grades 3 through 8 during the 2024-2025 school year. This data will be publicly reported, disaggregated by student groups, shared with parents and educators, and fed into the federal accountability system. States and districts across the country will benefit from the lessons learned during this ground-breaking program.

By adopting a more holistic approach, we move closer to achieving the decades-old promise that assessment can directly impact classroom learning. That system is being developed right now, and it can be a model for states across the country–if they have the courage to invest, innovate, and give real help to students who have lost so much time and education to pandemic disruption. Our system was tested, and the results were loud and clear–we need to do better for students, families, and teachers.

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