Topic > Testing and Assessment

Skip to Top Navigation Skip to Left Navigation Skip to Main Content

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

DBASSE - TOPICS

Aging

Behavior and Cognition

Children, Youth, and Families

Defense and National Security

Economy and the Workforce

Education

Humans, Systems, and Technologies

Law, Crime, and Justice

National Surveys and Statistics

Population and Demography

Research Quality and Use

Society and the Environment

Testing and Assessment

Testing and Assessment

How to measure what students know is one of the most complex and controversial aspects of education. Our studies explore all aspects of measurement and assessment, techniques and technologies for assessment, test policy, and the use of tests in accountability systems. Our work also examines assessment in the workplace and its use in human resources planning. See also:

Board on Testing and Assessment

Download the booklet, Lessons Learned About Testing: Ten Years of Work at the National Research Council.

Current Projects

Committee for the Five Year (2009-2013) Summative Evaluation of the District of Columbia's Public Schools The committee will write a consensus evaluation report that describes changes in the public schools during the period from 2009 to 2013 and also addresses the questions outlined in the PERAA legislation about effects on business practices; human resources operations and human capital strategies; academic plans; and student achievement.

Developing Assessment of Science Proficiency in K-12 The committee will make recommendations for strategies for developing assessments that validly measure student proficiency in science as laid out in the new K-12 science education framework....

Reports of Interest

	Assessing 21st Century Skills: Summary of a Workshop (BOTA) 2011 The routine jobs of yesterday are being replaced by technology and/or shipped off-shore. In their place, job categories that require knowledge management, abstract reasoning, and personal services... Read more

	Incentives and Test-Based Accountability in Education (BOTA) 2011 In recent years there have been increasing efforts to use accountability systems based on large-scale tests of students as a mechanism for improving student achievement. The federal No Child Left... Read more

Home ABOUT DBASSE Mission Advisory Committee DBASSE Staff DBASSE Brochure Visiting our Buildings News & Events Upcoming Events Social and Behavioral Sciences in Action Henry and Bryna David Lecture Our Work Current Projects Roundtables and Forums Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences Board on Children, Youth, and Families Board on Environmental Change and Society Board on Human-Systems Integration Board on Science Education Board on Testing and Assessment Committee on Law and Justice Committee on National Statistics Committee on Population Teacher Advisory Council Publications DBASSE Reports DBASSE Brochure Video Archive Audio Archive Newsletter Archive Work With Us Our Study Process Study Process Brochure Getting to Know the Committee Process Overview for Sponsors Guide for Study Sponsors

left image	text caption	center image
	Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults—This report describes what is meant by the term young adulthood, who young adults are, what they are doing, and what they need, and provides a roadmap to improving outcomes for this age group as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. ►Read more
	The Growth of Incarceration in the United States: Exploring Causes and Consequences: Given the minimal impact of long prison sentences on crime prevention and the negative consequences of high incarceration rates, this report from the Committee on Law and Justice concludes that the nation should revise current policies to significantly reduce imprisonment rates. ► Read More
	Furthering America’s Research Enterprise examines the research enterprise in the U.S. and describes the complex and often unpredictable pathways of research innovation, and reveals how basic research contributes to both the economy and society. ► Read more