educational measurement: issues and practice - issue 1

This article responds to two critiques of an earlier article on the unintended consequences of high‐stakes testing. The exchange of viewpoints suggests that the successful resolution of current policy debates surrounding such testing and companion accountability systems rests on the ability to: recognize, document, and disseminate instances of real learning gains; develop improved methods and assessment systems that provide instructional relevance and utility of test results; and negotiate a balance between the role of large‐scale assessment in identifying achievement deficits and the responsibility and resources that educational systems have to redress identified deficiencies.