A comprehensive assessment system balances multiple assessment approaches to ensure that students, families, educators, and policymakers have timely and appropriate information to support individual learners and to make good decisions to strengthen educational systems overall. Two major types of assessments—summative and formative—are highlighted in the NETP as leveraging the power of technology to measure what matters. The NETP also highlights the use of the data from these assessments to improve learning.
The NETP summarizes some of the advantages of digital assessments over traditional paper-based assessments, including increased flexibility, responsiveness, and contextualization. Digital assessments can be embedded in the learning context and are adaptable to students’ individual needs and growth. Universally designed digital assessments include features that increase accessibility and usability for all students. Accessible assessments that are interoperable with assistive technologies give students with disabilities the opportunity to more fully demonstrate what they know and are able to do.
Assessment practices from the National Education Technology Plan that we’re examining for inclusion in the CITES Framework are:
- Align appropriate assessment with inclusive use of technology and data literacy.
- Use data to inform individual learner instruction.
Across these practices, technology for assessment has the potential to improve outcomes for every learner.