Federal and state reforms in recent decades have focused on the establishment of standards and assessments as means of improving teaching and learning and closing the achievement gap between more and less privileged students. Reforms such as no child left behind, the common core state standards, and the federal race to the top competition have resulted in a proliferation of standards and high-stakes tests, and have been accompanied by both desirable and undesirable changes in school and district practices. In this course we will explore the debates surrounding these various standards and assessment reforms. The topics this course will address include the use of assessments to lever instructional change, the assumptions about learning that underpin different types of assessments and test-based accountability, and research investigating the influence of high-stakes testing on instruction and learning. This course also will consider research pertaining to high-stakes teacher evaluation including value-added models, pay for performance, and direct assessment of teaching quality.
Credits: 1.0 - 6.0
Recent and Upcoming Instructors
- Akiva, Tom
- Summer 2023 (2237-ST) / Class #: 18368 / Section: 1005-DIR
- Fall 2023 (2241-AT) / Class #: 29648 / Section: 1105-DIR
- Summer 2024 (2247-ST) / Class #: 17854 / Section: 1005-DIR
- Fall 2024 (2251-AT) / Class #: 27798 / Section: 1105-DIR
- Summer 2025 (2257-ST) / Class #: 17316 / Section: 1005-DIR
- Fall 2025 (2261-AT) / Class #: 26754 / Section: 1105-DIR
- Summer 2026 (2267-ST) / Class #: 17076 / Section: 1005-DIR
- Alang, Sirry M.
- Spring 2025 (2254-AT) / Class #: 20008 / Section: 1025-DIR
- Spring 2026 (2264-AT) / Class #: 19328 / Section: 1025-DIR
- Bachman, Heather J.
- Summer 2023 (2237-ST) / Class #: 18367 / Section: 1000-DIR
- Fall 2023 (2241-AT) / Class #: 29647 / Section: 1100-DIR
- Spring 2024 (2244-AT) / Class #: 12306 / Section: 1015-DIR
- Summer 2024 (2247-ST) / Class #: 17853 / Section: 1000-DIR
- Fall 2024 (2251-AT) / Class #: 27797 / Section: 1100-DIR
- Spring 2025 (2254-AT) / Class #: 12266 / Section: 1015-DIR
- Summer 2025 (2257-ST) / Class #: 17315 / Section: 1000-DIR
- Fall 2025 (2261-AT) / Class #: 26753 / Section: 1100-DIR
- Spring 2026 (2264-AT) / Class #: 12167 / Section: 1015-DIR
- Summer 2026 (2267-ST) / Class #: 17075 / Section: 1000-DIR
- Galla, Brian
- Summer 2023 (2237-ST) / Class #: 18371 / Section: 1020-DIR
- Spring 2024 (2244-AT) / Class #: 20302 / Section: 1020-DIR
- Spring 2024 (2244-AT) / Class #: 28381 / Section: 1035-DIR
- Summer 2024 (2247-ST) / Class #: 17857 / Section: 1020-DIR
- Spring 2025 (2254-AT) / Class #: 19910 / Section: 1020-DIR
- Spring 2025 (2254-AT) / Class #: 27392 / Section: 1035-DIR
- Summer 2025 (2257-ST) / Class #: 17319 / Section: 1020-DIR
- Spring 2026 (2264-AT) / Class #: 19232 / Section: 1020-DIR
- Spring 2026 (2264-AT) / Class #: 26119 / Section: 1035-DIR
- Summer 2026 (2267-ST) / Class #: 17079 / Section: 1020-DIR
- Kerr, Mary Margaret
- Fall 2023 (2241-AT) / Class #: 29650 / Section: 1115-DIR
- Fall 2024 (2251-AT) / Class #: 27800 / Section: 1115-DIR
- Qin, Xu
- Summer 2023 (2237-ST) / Class #: 18370 / Section: 1015-DIR
- Summer 2024 (2247-ST) / Class #: 17856 / Section: 1015-DIR
- Summer 2025 (2257-ST) / Class #: 17318 / Section: 1015-DIR
- Summer 2026 (2267-ST) / Class #: 17078 / Section: 1015-DIR
- Stevens, Leigh Patel
- Spring 2024 (2244-AT) / Class #: 20403 / Section: 1030-DIR
- Spring 2025 (2254-AT) / Class #: 20009 / Section: 1030-DIR
- Spring 2026 (2264-AT) / Class #: 19329 / Section: 1030-DIR