Common Core Standards

Overall Scenario for Assignments 1-4

Imagine that your locally elected board of the school district has commissioned an Assessment Task Force to improve the overall standardized test scores of the students within the school district. The superintendent (a role played by your professor), has asked you, the Director of Assessment, to develop an assessment project proposal. The superintendent asked you to include the following in this proposal:

• A research topic related to K-12 assessment.
• Research of a local school district’s Website to learn about the established assessment goals. (Note: Do not identify individuals by name, share proprietary information, etc.)
• Proposed recommendations for changes to the District’s K-12 assessment goals.
• Presentation of the proposal for the task force.

The superintendent will review the parts of your proposal as you develop each part and provide you feedback. The superintendent expects you to incorporate the feedback into subsequent parts of the proposal for presentation. In your initial meeting with the superintendent, he has provided the following list of sample research topics that could be the focus of your proposal:

1. Bias (cultural and gender) in aptitude and standardized tests
2. Implications of cognitive science and brain research upon assessment
3. Implications of and Changes to No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 with respect to testing
4. Alternate assessment methods for special populations (e.g., gifted students, students with learning disabilities)
5. Assessing students with disabilities using computer technologies or other innovations (select one or more types of disabilities)
6. Implications of National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers, Coaches, and Students (NETS) to school districts with respect to program assessment.
7. The Implications of the Common Core Standards with relation to your chosen local school district, state education system, or education system on a national level
8. Balancing the use of formative or summative assessments in the classroom with required standardized assessments

You may also choose an assignment topic other than those suggested.

Note: By Week 2, students should obtain professor approval on any assignment topics other than those suggested in the Overall Scenario for Assignments 1-4.

Note: You may create and /or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of these assignments including providing real research information.