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Chronic Absence Data Review and Strategies for Student Reengagement

New data for the 2022–23 school year show that the sharp jump in students’ chronic absence in 2021–22 was no anomaly: Rates decreased only slightly during the last school year. In a webinar on Tuesday, December 5, from 2:30-4:00 pm ET, Attendance Works’ Hedy Chang and the Grad Partnership’s Robert Balfanz team up to explore […]


Ensuring Testing Practices Are Accessible and Fair

No assessment issue is more important than ensuring fairness for all examinees, especially students who have been traditionally underserved or need additional support. What does it mean for a test to be fair? This session focuses on the questions board members should ask and the evidence that should be reviewed to promote fairness in testing […]


Partnering with Families to Improve Youth Mental Health

The youth mental health crisis has led to an influx of federal and state dollars to provide more mental health services in and out of school. Parents are a powerful, yet often overlooked, tool for combatting the youth mental health crisis. However, a Harvard Education School analysis shows that parents’ and teens’ emotional well-being is […]


Assessment Innovation: Selecting the Right Path Forward

Almost no one is satisfied with the status quo in assessment and accountability. With so many voices clamoring for innovation, how can state policymakers select the right path forward? In this third session of our Assessment and Accountability NASBE Member Learning Series, led by the Center for Assessment’s Scott Marion and Carla Evans, we explore […]


State Policy to Support Early Literacy Success

After recent NAEP scores highlighted low reading proficiency among students in the U.S., many states are looking to science of reading and evidence-based literacy instruction to bolster their state policies to better prepare young children on how to read. State boards of education have the opportunity to ask questions and support policies that ensure all […]


Using School Accountability Systems to Support School Improvement

School accountability systems are often criticized for being disconnected from or even hindering the important work of improving schools. What is the role of accountability to promote better outcomes for students, and how do we design and implement systems that are more likely to deliver on that promise? In this second session of our Assessment and Accountability […]