Much has been said about the pro and con of Common Core standards and whether we should or should not be involved. Another piece of the puzzle is that regardless of which set of standards we in California choose – how would we know whether the standards have been achieved or not? This is the assessment question that is currently resolved primarily through the State CST (California Standards Test) examination.
While there are several choices and we have bounced around a bit in California we currently seem committed to what is termed the Smarter Balance option. This assessment package is interesting in that it promises a computer adapted assessment that will pinpoint the competency levels of students to a much higher degree. Additionally, it should provide a much timelier response in results – so that we can actually use them in planning for the subsequent year.
While there remains much to be done with this issue, my understanding is that it is slated for full implementation in the 2014-15 school year (which is NOT far away). Additionally, in an era when we are still trying to make CalPADS work statewide, this assessment will require a substantial upgrade in digital infrastructure statewide – at a time when we all have diminishing budgets.
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