Koretz has studied or worked as a consultant on the assessment systems of several states, including the alternative assessment “portfolio” program in Vermont that includes no testing.
Koretz says one of the biggest problems facing states as they try to develop assessment programs is ensuring that the results are comparable across different school districts.
Many factors besides teaching, like nutrition and parental education, affect student performance, Koretz says.
“Parental education is a strong predictor of student performance,” he says.
Therefore, when education administrators evaluate student achievement it can sometimes present a misleading picture of the quality of teachers in a particular school district.
Koretz says officials must take into account outside influences when they evaluate test scores—or they may not be able to improve the district, even with good teachers.
“What if we don’t attend to those other factors holding kids back?” he asks.
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