Special Report
Special Report

Digital Advances Reshaping K-12 Testing

March 10, 2014
  • Assessment Adaptive Tech., Secure Browsers Aim to Curb Student Cheating
    As schools put the technology in place for online assessments, they are looking carefully at how to use new technologies to prevent cheating.
    Michelle R. Davis, March 10, 2014
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    7 min read
    Sixth grader Jackie Blumhoefer, middle, reacts as she takes over first place during a game of SimCityEDU: Pollution Challenge at Valleyview Middle School in Denville, N.J.
    Sixth grader Jackie Blumhoefer, middle, reacts as she takes over first place during a game of SimCityEDU: Pollution Challenge at Valleyview Middle School in Denville, N.J.
    Emile Wamsteker for Education Week
    Classroom Technology Testing Embedded in Digital Games Yields Key Data
    The feedback provides deeper insight into how students solve problems, allowing educators to identify their strengths and weaknesses more quickly, experts say.
    Robin L. Flanigan, March 10, 2014
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    4 min read
    BRIC ARCHIVE
    Classroom Technology Q&A: Designing Game-Based Assessments That Engage Students
    Arthur C. Graesser, a University of Memphis professor of experimental and cognitive psychology, says "you have to be very subtle in smuggling in serious content."
    Robin L. Flanigan, March 10, 2014
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    2 min read
    Standards & Accountability Evaluating Schools' Tech. Readiness for Common-Core Testing
    State and district officials acknowledge that they face many unknowns about their technological readiness for new online assessments for the standards.
    Sean Cavanagh, March 10, 2014
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    12 min read
    Ed-Tech Policy Movement Grows to Assess Students' Digital Literacy
    Assessments should use digital tools not just to gauge core academic expertise, many educators say, but also to measure abstract abilities aligned with the technology skills needed for success in the workplace.
    Robin L. Flanigan, March 10, 2014
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    6 min read
    Freshmen Rachel Schoeff, left, and Adun Obisesan make a DNA model out of candy in a science class at Darby High School, part of the Hilliard city school district in Ohio.
    Freshmen Rachel Schoeff, left, and Adun Obisesan make a DNA model out of candy in a science class at Darby High School, part of the Hilliard city school district in Ohio.
    Tom Dodge/Columbus Dispatch
    Personalized Learning 'Learning Menus' Empower Students to Tailor Curriculum
    The "curriculum playlist" concept centers around the idea that content should be unbundled so that users can reassemble it according to their preferences.
    Benjamin Herold, March 10, 2014
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    3 min read
    Test-takers must determine the best way to fix a broken well in a simulation for the new technology, engineering, and literacy exam by the NCES.
    Test-takers must determine the best way to fix a broken well in a simulation for the new technology, engineering, and literacy exam by the NCES.
    Assessment Digital Simulations Emphasize Problem Solving
    Simulations designed to make students communicate and work with others to solve problems are receiving new attention in K-12 testing, despite questions about cost, reliability, and validity.
    Benjamin Herold, March 10, 2014
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    9 min read
    Student teacher Jayne Hubbell works with students in a kindergarten class at Buena Vista Elementary School in Nashville, Tenn.
    Student teacher Jayne Hubbell works with students in a kindergarten class at Buena Vista Elementary School in Nashville, Tenn.
    Josh Anderson for Education Week
    School & District Management Districts Tackle Technology Gaps
    The gap between districts that appear to be well prepared to put digital instruction and assessment in place and those that aren't is significant.
    Amanda M. Fairbanks, March 10, 2014
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    8 min read
    Assessment Essay-Grading Software Seen as Time-Saving Tool
    Teachers are eager for new tools to help students develop into better writers, but critics question the ability of the software to critique writing.
    Caralee J. Adams, March 10, 2014
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    7 min read
    Special Education Digital Assessments Evolve for Students With Autism
    Assistive technologies for students with autism have progressed with the help of iPads, tablets, and apps that assess learning, social skills, and communication, according to experts.
    Michelle R. Davis, March 10, 2014
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    6 min read
    Special Education Assistive Tech for Testing Merges Into Mainstream
    The growing use of computer-based assessments is opening the door for all students to tap into accommodations once reserved primarily for students with disabilities.
    Michelle R. Davis, March 10, 2014
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    7 min read
    Assessment Digital Advances, Common Core Fuel New Testing Approaches
    Online assessments—for high-stakes tests and classroom exams—are the undeniable wave of the future and a key tool for customizing instruction, experts say.
    Kevin Bushweller, March 10, 2014
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    3 min read
    Patrick Kilty, a Summit High history teacher, is integrating new digital tools into lessons to develop better ways to generate ongoing feedback about individual student performance.
    Patrick Kilty, a Summit High history teacher, is integrating new digital tools into lessons to develop better ways to generate ongoing feedback about individual student performance.
    Leah Nash for Education Week
    Classroom Technology Testing Digital Tools to Improve Formative Assessments
    Summit High School in Oregon is experimenting with a mix of new technologies to build teacher-student feedback loops that help personalize instruction.
    Benjamin Herold, March 10, 2014
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    10 min read