Recent advances have been made in developing and applying more detailed, in-depth measures of the degree of alignment of assessments and the content standards or curriculum guiding instruction. Many states are seeking ways to tighten the link between their policies for the content of instruction, such as standards documents or curriculum frameworks, and the statewide assessment instruments used to measure achievement.
The Council has worked to promote development and application of models for alignment analysis that will assist states and districts. Our goal is for educators and policymakers to make informed decisions about the design of alignment studies based on local needs, and to provide leadership to states and districts in carrying out alignment analysis using one of the available models. CCSSO has recent experience in working with a number of states on alignment issues, and our staff collaborate with other organizations to assist states with alignment studies.
Summary of Alignment Research
The Council has been active in developing, testing, and applying two models in conducting alignment analyses:
SEC Model: Produces alignment analyses of standards, assessments, and instructional content by use of a content matrix or template for core academic subjects that allows comparison across schools, districts or states. The Council worked with Andrew Porter and John Smithson in testing and implementing the model with states.
Web Alignment Tool: Provides analysis of the degree of intersection of state assessments and content standards, which combines qualitative expert judgments and quantified coding and statistical analysis. The Council worked with Norman Webb in developing the model.
Purpose of Alignment Analysis
The Council's goal is to assist chief state schools officers and state and local education leaders in making informed decisions about how to improve their capacity for determining the alignment of content standards, assessments and instruction. Each of the current method of conducting alignment, reviewed by CCSSO, has been used by several states, and they all are operational. In coming months, CCSSO expects to expand our work with states on alignment analyses, and we will cooperate with the other organizations that can assist states with alignment studies.
There are a number of reasons for the heightened interest in methods of determining the degree of alignment of state content standards with state assessments, as well as with curriculum materials and instruction in classrooms. The policy demands of accountability systems increase the need for schools to focus curriculum and instruction on what will be measured systemwide. At the same time, educators typically do not want to have teaching dictated by the limits of what can be tested in on-demand assessments.
Methods of measuring and reporting on alignment can allow all parties to see where standards and assessments intersect and where they do not. In addition, the reauthorization of ESEA under No Child Left Behind legislation has placed greater responsibility on states to implement assessment and accountability systems that are aligned with state content standards. Evidence needs to be provided of how the degree of alignment is measured. State funds under NCLB can be used by states to conduct alignment studies.
