Leading organizations in student-centered education release recommendations report on school assessment, quality

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Oct 03, 2023, 08:15 ET

CINCINNATI, Oct. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, KnowledgeWorks announced the release of the highly anticipated recommendations report on school quality systems, co-authored by leading organizations in the learner-centered education movement.

The recommendations report, titled Beyond the Horizon: Blazing a Trail Toward Learner Centered School Quality Systems, represents the culmination of months of research, collaboration and dialogue among esteemed contributors from the various influential organizations committed to the advancement of learner-centered education including:

Aurora Institute
Big Picture Learning
Center for Assessment
Center for Innovation in Education
Envision Learning Partners
Great Schools Partnership
KnowledgeWorks
Learner-Centered Collaborative
Mastery Transcript Consortium
Transcend

"We firmly believe that education transformation is a collective endeavor, and this report represents a milestone in our movement towards empowering learners for a thriving future," said Bill Hite, KnowledgeWorks president and CEO.

The comprehensive recommendations report seeks to evolve assessment and accountability by addressing five key systems transformation themes with each theme including policy concepts, key strategies for implementation and real-world examples of practices at work in communities across the country.

In June, with generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation, more than 200 individuals representing students, policymakers, educators, administrators and civil rights organizations gathered in Denver for the Trailblazers Summit to imagine together how we might align our school quality systems to support student-centered learning.

The summit and its resulting report aim to address the evolution of systems designed to understand and improve school quality while ensuring that a wealth of insights, experiences and perspectives are reflected to fuel meaningful change.

In a joint statement issued by the Center for Assessment, Executive Director Scott Marion and Associate Laura Pinsonneault highlight the need to rethink assessment and accountability systems to allow for innovation.

"The Trailblazers Summit brought together thought leaders from across the county interested in moving beyond isolated examples of student-centered systems," they said. "Our accountability and assessment systems should support this work, not be a barrier to it."

Over the course of the past decade, learner-centered education has grown from a small collection of leading school districts, practitioners and policymakers into a blossoming movement.

Despite this momentum, student-centered learning communities still cite current assessment and accountability systems as the largest barrier to progress. Beyond the Horizon: Blazing a Trail Toward Learner Centered School Quality Systems serves as a roadmap for schools and policymakers to shape a more equitable and student-centered education system.

"Our current systems of assessment and accountability fail to meet the needs of far too many learners. In contrast to current systems of school quality measurement, a learner-centered system would place students and their communities at the center of the system's design," Carlos Moreno, co-executive director of Big Picture Learning said.

The release of the groundbreaking report marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of learner-centered education. It not only offers tangible recommendations but sparks an essential dialogue among educators, policymakers and stakeholders to drive transformation around assessment and accountability.

The U.S. Department of Education released a request for information in April seeking public comment and submissions of successful approaches to innovative assessment and implementation. The recommendations report will be shared with federal and state policymakers and philanthropy to support continued national dialogue and action around this important issue.

To access the full report, visit www.knowledgeworks.org

KnowledgeWorks is a national nonprofit organization advancing a future of learning that ensures each student graduates ready for what's next. For more than 20 years, we've been partnering with states, communities and leaders across the country to imagine, build and sustain vibrant learning communities. Through evidence-based practices and a commitment to equitable outcomes, we're creating the future of learning, together.

Get more resources to help make personalized, competency-based learning a reality at KnowledgeWorks.org

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SOURCE KnowledgeWorks Foundation