The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science

What Use is Educational Assessment?

Testing and assessment have long been fixtures of American education, but researchers and policymakers continue to question the value and legitimacy of their role as instruments of evaluation and accountability. In this era of evolving education policy—fueled by abating federal involvement, the impact of the evidence movement, and progress in the science of educational measurement—discussions around assessment remain meaningful, if not imperative, to education research.    

This volume of The ANNALS examines the history of assessment and its role in modern education, focusing on the intended uses of assessment, its potential benefits, and its known and unknown risks. Considering also the ways in which teaching, learning, and cognition sciences may join with contemporary theory to shape future policy, this volume illuminates the current and anticipated states of testing and assessment as they relate to education reform, practice, and potential.