The Next Generation in Assessment and Accountability

By Diane McMillan
Associate Director

The Next Generation in Assessment and Accountability was
the topic of a March forum in Chicago. I attended with a team from
around the state to discuss what assessment will look like in the next
ten years in Michigan and implementation of the Secondary Credit Assessment system.

Joseph Martineau, the new director of MDE’s Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability
led our state team along with facilitators from Great Lakes East, Great
Lakes West-Learning Point Associates, Westwind Education Policy, the
Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center/CRESST, the
Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center/WestEd and the
Regional Education Laboratory Midwest.

The prediction for the next generation of assessment centered on
formative instruction and assessment. With the assessments like MME
providing the summative data for states, the focus is forecast to be on
formative assessments that provide feedback and information about
student learning.

According to Margaret Heritage of the Assessment and Accountability
Comprehensive Center/CRESST, formative assessment is “an ongoing
process to close the gap between the learner’s current state and
desired goals.” Formative assessment can uncover address details about
student learning that the larger, summative tests cannot.

The vision of the department is to integrate formative instruction
and assessment training into existing professional development and not
create another separate initiative that will be “one more thing” on
educators’ plates. Already, a philosophical shift seems underway in the
department. (Martineau’s Memo) Expect to hear more on formative assessment and MDE’s plans in the coming months.