Massachusetts Receives Federal Approval to Develop Innovative Science Assessment
April 24, 2020
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education gave Massachusetts the green light to “pilot a new kind of science test for fifth and eighth-grade students” as part of a federal innovative assessment program for the 2020-2021 school year. This approval will give the state the flexibility to try out “a new way of testing students’ knowledge that combines a modified version of the existing state assessment with ‘technology enhanced performance tasks’ that are aligned with state standards and use students’ responses to activities as a way of measuring comprehension.” The program is part of the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority under the Every Student Succeeds Act.