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A New Vision for Skills-Based Assessment NGSS

Author(s):
Liu, Ou Lydia; Kell, Harrison; Liu, Lei; Ling, Guangming; Wang, Yuan; Wylie, E. Caroline; Sevak, Amit; Sherer, David; LeMahieu, Paul G.; Knowles, Tim
Publication Year:
2023
Source:
Report
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
30
Subject/Key Words:
Complex Skill Assessment, Cognitive Skills, Behavior, Postsecondary Education Assessment, Elementary and Secondary Education, Competency Testing, Higher-Order Skills, Competency Based Assessment, Taxonomy, Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Task Design

Abstract

Modern education has been plagued by assessment systems focusing on a limited set of cognitive skills that are easy to measure, misaligned with nonlinear educational pathways, and that miss opportunities to offer insights that are valuable for learners, educators, and policymakers. As students’ educational pathways become increasingly nonlinear and learners acquire skills from a wide range of channels both in and outside of school, assessment systems must be transformed to expand the measures of skills that matter, innovate how a wide range of skills are measured, and generate powerful insights for multiple stakeholders. Due to demographic changes, technological advancements, and globalization, the future of the workforce also demands education systems that equip students with not only strong cognitive skills, but behavioral and affective skills as well. This report reviews existing frameworks and initiatives in competence-based education in both K-12 and postsecondary education, identifies and defines the critical skills deemed important for life, work, and education, proposes assessment principles and innovative task design in measuring skills that matter, and discusses the creation of professional learning communities for high fidelity implementation of the new assessment system.

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