NEA Resources

Learn what the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also called the "No Child Left Behind" Act) says about testing and assessment, as well as what NEA is doing and what you can do about new federal testing requirements.

In Testing Plus, NEA argues that true student assessment must include more than the high-stakes, paper and pencil tests that are all the rage with some politicians.

See the Teaching Experience area of this Web site for these and other articles on assessment:

• "The Mismatch Between Assessment and Grading" looks at alternative assessments in mathematics.
• "Linking Assessment and Teaching" argues that the early years of schooling, prekindergarten through third grade, is the time to begin the process of assessing children's performance related to standards.
• "Analyzing Student Work" shows how measuring students' understanding can help teachers improve their own practice.
• "A Value-Added View of Pupil Performance" has examples for measuring what an individual has learned.
• "Charting the Course of Student Growth" examines what we mean by results.

The NEA report Balanced Assessment: The Key to Accountability and Improved Student Learning (2003) describes how standardized tests can be coordinated with classroom-based assessment to produce a more complete picture of student progress and school quality.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has taken on a new role for states in educational improvement. Under the ESEA, states must participate in NAEP reading and mathematics assessments at grades 4 and 8 every two years. State participation in NAEP has previously been voluntary. NEA has prepared a list of key questions about NAEP and ESEA.

Building Tests to Support Instruction and Accountability: A Guide for Policymakers: An independent commission of testing experts was convened by NEA and the American Association of Administrators, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Middle School Association. The experts were asked to make recommendations for making large-scale assessments useful for both instruction and accountability.

Illustrative Language for an RFP to Build Tests to Support Instruction and Accountability: The independent commission of test experts referenced above took the additional step of translating their nine requirements into language that could be used by states in developing Requests for Proposals to build tests that support instruction and accountability.

ESEA's Testing Provisions: Guidance from an Independent Commission's Requirements  (PDF, 281k, 28 pp.): The independent commission of testing experts offers advice on how to implement the testing provisions of ESEA.

Advancing Standards: A National Call for Mid-Course Corrections and Next Steps: This report asks educators and policy makers to reassess the direction of standards-based education and make corrections to raise achievement and maintain equity.

A Tool for Auditing Standards-Based Education  (MS Word, 31 pp): To facilitate the necessary changes in the direction of standards-based education, NEA developed this tool for state affiliates to assess the status and plan necessary changes in direction for standards-based education.