Assessment as a positive influence on 21st century teaching and learning: A systems approach to progress

This paper argues that assessment can serve as a positive influence on attaining 21st century learning goals. Section I focuses on 21st century education challenges and the types of assessments needed to support attainment of learning objectives relevant to a global society. Sections II and III discuss the purposes and contexts of educational assessment and three important conceptual frameworks: (a)assessment as a process of reasoning from evidence, (b) assessment driven by models of learning expressed as learning progressions, and (c) the use of an evidence-centered design process to develop and interpret assessments. Section IV considers the implications for design of classroom and large-scale assessment. Sections V and VI consider the elements of a balanced system of assessments and key indicators of quality we must keep at the forefront as we work towards implementing coherent assessment systems as part of the process of educational transformation in the 21st century.