Assessment

Ed Policy

21 Months (and Counting) to Online Assessments

2012 is quickly drawing to a close. When the calendar page flips to 2013 in just a couple of weeks, we suspect that the 2014 implementation of the next generation of online assessments is suddenly going to feel much closer. That realization is sure to provoke a wave of high blood pressure fanning out across the land. But - have no fear - the new DLN Smart Series white paper is here!

Personalized Learning

Infographic: The Countdown to Next-Gen Assessments

Digital Learning Now! (DLN) today released “Getting Ready for Online Assessments,” the third interactive paper in the DLN Smart Series, which provides recommendations for states and districts to prepare for new, online assessments in the wake of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) implementation in the 2014-15 school year. Here is an infographic that describes the shift to the online assessments over the course of the next 21 months.

Personalized Learning

Powering the Real Revolution in Higher Education

We've heard a lot about Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) -- the breakout trend of the year -- but it's still a fringe concept feeding what Clayton Christensen calls non-consumption. The real story is how the diverse web of nearly 5,000 institutions (broadly speaking) of higher learning in the U.S. are responding to cost pressure, calls for higher completion rates and better job preparation, and student demands for relevance.

EdTech

ASAP Case Study

A Getting Smart case study on the Automated Student Assessment Prize (ASAP) that invited teams to build software systems that could grade written responses on state standardized tests as accurately as trained experts.

Personalized Learning

Preview of Back to School Week on GettingSmart

We have a great line up of blogs for next week, join the conversation. We'll review Michael Fullan's new book, find out why Cal St asked Pearson to help expand online options, study blended learning modes, learn about online speech therapy, find out how Common Core standards are different, and contemplate new approaches to research

Personalized Learning

Building the Digital Learning Superhighway

Next month there will be a lot of U.S. students holding an iPad looking at a spinning wheel. Cheaper devices, powerful apps, successful school models, and preparation for online assessments is boosting student access to technology. But in most places, the pipes won't be ready for all the traffic.

Personalized Learning

Placement Exams: The Hidden Gateway

While many have focused on ACT and SAT, the tests that drive attendance at selectives (a small percentage of post secondary students), there has been little attention paid to placement exams—the real hurdle in the system for young adults that want to earn college credit. JFF just released a must read report, Where to Begin? The Evolving Role of Placement Exams.