Will 'Core' Tests Produce Meaningful Results?

The pyrotechnics around the Common Core has obscured some of the more prosaic, but critical, questions it poses for K-12 reform. Field testing for the Common Core-aligned PARCC and Smarter Balanced assessments is now in full swing for millions of students, and dozens of states are planning to make big decisions based on next year’s results. Yet, four years after these testing consortia launched, I still can’t get answers to practical questions about whether the results will provide the kind of valid, reliable data needed to support transparency, accountability, and informed competition.