Testing the Waters: Insights into Parent Perspectives on Through-Year Assessment Implementation

Many technical, test design, and implementation questions are involved in designing new statewide assessments. These are all critical, shaping often underexamined aspects of testing: student test experience and families' perceptions of testing in this new structure. Although the state outreach to students and families is needed generally, it is especially vital to elevate the experiences and perspectives of historically marginalized students and families, such as students of color, students with disabilities, and English learners (ELs), to understand how new test designs can best meet the needs of all students and help close inequitable achievement gaps. This report identifies four states that have taken different approaches in designing new through-year assessments: Delaware, Florida, Nebraska, and Texas. In each state, the authors spoke with state assessment directors and district leaders to learn more about how the tests worked for students, families, and educators. In all states except Texas, which is in the early stages of its pilot, the authors also spoke with Black and Latino parents and parents of students with disabilities to hear about their experiences with the new assessments.