Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability Support Page

House Bill 2804, 84th Texas Legislature (2015), established the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability. The purpose of the commission is to develop and make recommendations for new systems of student assessment and public school accountability. The commission will submit a report to the governor and legislature that recommends statutory changes to improve the state’s systems of student assessment and public school accountability by September 1, 2016.

House Bill 2804 (outside source)
Commission Overview
Commission Membership  
Commission Member Contact Information
Commission Operating Procedures
Commission Framework   

 This support page provides information and resources for commission members. All links are to PDF files unless otherwise indicated.
  

Final Commission Report

As required by statute, and to conclude its work, the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability presented this report to the governor of Texas and Texas Legislature. This report contains nine recommendations, five considerations for further study, and a long-term vision statement for public education in Texas.
  

Meeting Schedule

All commission meetings are open to the public in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.

Open Meetings Act (outside source)

Seventh Meeting of the Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability

Date: Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Place: American Institutes for Research (AIR), 4700 Mueller Blvd., Austin, TX, 78723, Conference Center, Located on the First Floor 
Agenda
Minutes
Draft Report to the Governor of Texas and Texas Legislature 
Video Archive 

Sixth Meeting of the Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability

Date: Monday, June 13, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Place: American Institutes for Research (AIR), 4700 Mueller Blvd., Austin, TX, 78723, Conference Center, Located on the First Floor 
Agenda
Minutes
Meeting Materials
Working Session Notes
Video Archive 

Fifth Meeting of the Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability

Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Place: American Institutes for Research (AIR), 4700 Mueller Blvd., Austin, TX, 78723, Conference Center, Located on the First Floor
Agenda
Minutes
Plan for Developing Recommendations and Final Report    
Video Archive

Fourth Meeting of the Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability

Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Place: American Institutes for Research (AIR), 4700 Mueller Blvd., Austin, TX, 78723, Conference Center, Located on the First Floor
Agenda 
Detailed Agenda 
Minutes 
Video Archive
Meeting Materials

Presentations
The Future of Assessment in Texas: Realizing the Promise of Educational Assessment—presented by Dr. James Pellegrino  
State Accountability System Examples—presented by Mariann Lemke  
A–F School Grading—presented by Christy Hovanetz 
FAST and Smart: Strategies for Identifying Effective and Efficient Schools—presented by Lori Taylor  
What We Need—presented by Paul Haeberlen  

Third Meeting of the Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability

Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Place: Texas Education Agency, William B. Travis Building, 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701, State Board of Education, Room 1-104
Agenda
Detailed Agenda 
Minutes
Video archive 
Meeting Materials
Working Session Notes
Presentation
Shifts in Assessment and Accountability Policy Under the Every Student Succeeds Act—presented by Robert Stonehill and David English 

Second Meeting of the Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability

Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Place: State Capitol Building, House Appropriations Hearing Room, located at the Capitol Extension, Floor E1, Room E1.030, 1100 N. Congress, Austin, TX 78701
Agenda 
Detailed Agenda
Minutes
Video archive
Presentations
Career and College Readiness: A State Perspective—presented by Mike Morath
The SAT® Suite of Assessments: What Do They Tell Us About College & Career Readiness?—presented by Matt Lisk 
ACT® & College and Career Readiness—presented by John Clark
Recommendations to the Commission On Behalf of the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium—presented by Dr. Karen Rue and Dr. Dawson Orr

First Meeting of the Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability

Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Place: State Capitol Building, House Appropriations Hearing Room, located at the Capitol Extension, Floor E1, Room E1.030, 1100 N. Congress, Austin, TX 78701
Agenda 
Minutes
Video archive
Meeting Materials  
Presentations (also included in Meeting Materials link)
10 Principles of Accountability—Ten principles for test-based accountability systems as presented by Dr. Andrew Ho
History of State Assessment in Texas—An overview of the Texas assessment program as presented by Dr. Gloria Zyskowski
History of State Accountability in Texas—An overview of the state accountability system in Texas as presented by Shannon Housson

Future Meeting Dates

Wednesday, July 27, 2016  

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
(NEW, posted 3/17/2016)

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) ESSA resources  (outside source; Link is no longer active.)—CCSSO has prepared a page of resources related to ESSA which includes the following:

• Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (Link is no longer active.)
• Transitioning to the Every Student Succeeds Act
• Comparisons of Select Elements of ESEA, No Child Left Behind vs. Every Student Succeeds Act (Link is no longer active.)
    

Responses to Data Requests
(NEW, posted 2/19/2016)

Assessment

Number and Percent of STAAR EOC Online Test Administrations, 2012–2015—Tables showing the number and percent of online STAAR EOC tests given during the 2012–2015 primary administrations. The tables include only those EOC assessments still administered as part of the STAAR program. (NEW, posted 3/2/2016)
STAAR Standard Setting Technical Report—Includes an overview of the STAAR EOC standard setting process (page 13), operational definitions of postsecondary readiness and STAAR EOC cut score neighborhood development guidelines (page 58), and a summary of the STAAR EOC external validity studies comparing STAAR to ACT, SAT, THEA, and ACCUPLACER (page 128).
Profiles of the STAAR EOC External Validity Studies—The external validity studies compared STAAR to the ACT, SAT, THEA, and ACCUPLACER.
Spring 2016 District Registration for STAAR Algebra II/English III Administrations 
Approved Substitute Assessments—A chart of assessments currently approved as allowed substitutes for a STAAR EOC assessment
EOC performance tables, 1995–1996 to 2001–2002—End of Course assessment results from 1995–1996 to 2001–2002. These EOC assessments were last administered in spring 2002. Assessed subjects include Algebra I, biology, English II, and U.S. history.
STAAR Days of Testing—Mandatory days of testing by grade and subject. Generally, each day of testing does not exceed four hours per assessment.  
The 2015–2016 Student Assessment Testing Calendar
Spring 2016 Survey to Determine Time to Test in Grades 3–8—Instructions for campus test coordinators to complete the time-to-test survey for the spring 2016 grades 3–8 STAAR assessments. The survey’s results will be used to fully comply with House Bill 743, 2015 Texas Legislature. 
Cost Savings for Online Testing—An explanation of potential cost savings if STAAR was a fully online assessment
2008 Online Readiness Report—The 2008 online readiness report to determine the feasibility of converting the state’s assessment system to a computer-adapted format
Special Education and ELL Testing Requirements—A summary of STAAR testing and special populations
2015 STAAR Score Distributions—Includes STAAR score distributions and other statistics by content area and grade 

Accountability

An explanation of how campus comparison groups are determined is available in Appendix H of the 2015 Accountability Manual.

Research

Information linking Texas public school performance with college performance
Texas Academic Performance Report—Page 12–13 (bottom of 12, top of 13), with information on Graduates Enrolled in TX Institution of Higher Education (IHE) and Graduates in Texas IHE Completing One Year Without Remediation

From Texas Public Education Information Resource (TPEIR)
College Admissions Test Participation and Texas Public Four-Year College Enrollment of Texas Public High School Graduates—Student enrollment in Texas public four-year colleges of Texas public high school graduates who took the SAT and/or ACT tests. Enrollment in Texas public four-year colleges by ethnicity and AP courses completed; by economically disadvantaged status and AP courses completed; and by SAT/ACT score and AP courses completed. Report available at state level.
Texas Public College Enrollment by AP Courses—College enrollment of high school graduates by the number of AP courses completed. Reports available at state and ESC region levels as well as by school district type and school district enrollment levels.
Texas Public College Enrollment for Texas Public High School Graduates by Limited English Proficient (LEP) Status—College enrollment rates of Texas public high school graduates by LEP status. Reports are available at state and ESC region levels.
Texas Public High School Graduates Enrollment in Texas Public Two-Year or Four-Year Colleges (Info)—College enrollment rates of Texas public high school graduates in two-year and four-year Texas public colleges for the academic year following high school graduation. Report is available at the state, ESC region, and district levels.
High School Graduates Enrolled in Higher Education – by High School Diploma Type (Info)—Texas public high school graduates enrolled in Texas public higher education during the school year immediately following the year of their high school graduation. It displays high school graduates by their diploma type and enrollment in 2-year or 4-year Texas public college. Report is available at state level.
THECB Annual TSI/Alternative Test High School Summary Report—Report produced by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) on student performance on Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Readiness measures (2014 data)
THECB High School Graduates Enrolled in Texas Higher Education the Following Fall by Ethnicity and Higher Education Sector—Report produced by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) providing the number and percent of high school graduates enrolled in Texas public or independent 2-year or 4-year colleges by ethnicity (Report in Excel format)
THECB Report of High School Graduates’ Enrollment and Academic Performance—Report produced by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) on Texas high school graduates' enrollment in higher education and academic performance (Report for 2014)
Higher Education Graduation Longitudinal Analysis - Statewide by Degree Level (Info)—Degrees conferred by school year for Texas public universities, Texas public two-year colleges, and Texas public health-related institutions. Report is available at the state level.
College Enrollment and/or Employment Following HS Graduation (Info)—College enrollment and employment information for Texas public high school graduates enrolled in Texas public colleges and/or employed in Texas. Reports are available at state and school district levels.

International Comparisons of Texas Students
U.S. States in a Global Context: Results From the 2011 NAEP-TIMSS Linking Study (National Center for Education Statistics, 2013)—This document links NAEP and TIMSS data. Also included are "Profiles in Performance," which present a clickable map of the US with information about mathematics and science data.
Globally Challenged: Are US Students Ready to Compete? (Peterson et al, 2013)—The latest on each state's international standing in mathematics and reading

Oklahoma study on A–F
Next Generation School Accountability–A Report Commissioned by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (outside source, 2015)—A review of the Oklahoma A–F school accountability system
  

Briefing Book

Assessment

Texas Education Code for Assessment—Texas Education Code relating to required assessment instruments, administration, and graduation requirements
Required Assessments—A chart indicating state and federally required assessments
Assessment Graduation Requirements—An overview of Texas assessment graduation requirements from 1986 to present
History of the Texas Assessment Program—An historical overview of the Texas Assessment Program from 1979 to present
2015–2016 Assessment Calendar—The 2015–2016 Texas assessment calendar. The calendar indicates key training, administration, and reporting dates. Page 4 shows the subjects and grades assessed by STAAR at each grade level and the available versions of the STAAR assessments.

2015 Legislation
HB 743 Summary—A brief summary of House Bill 743 to establish time limits for the grades 3–8 assessments
HB 743 as Enrolled—The enrolled text of House Bill 743 to establish time limits for the grades 3–8 assessments
HB 1164 Summary—A brief summary of House Bill 1164 to create a writing pilot program
HB 1164 as Enrolled—The enrolled text of House Bill 1164 to create a writing pilot program

STAAR Program Information
STAAR Test Design and Standards—A description of the test design principles for STAAR, which is fundamentally different from past state assessments. STAAR assessments are developed using three major design attributes: focus, clarity, and depth. Includes a description of readiness and supporting standards.
STAAR Program Overview—An overview of the entire STAAR program. This overview includes descriptions of the various STAAR instruments, participation and graduation requirements, the test development process, validity and reliability, training, accommodations, and reporting.
STAAR Assessment Considerations—A description of considerations the agency weighs when implementing the STAAR assessment program
Sampling and the STAAR Program—An explanation of sampling and why Texas assesses every student
STAAR Program Changes in 2014-2015—This document outlines all major program changes in 2014–2015. There have been no significant program changes since. In 2014–2015, significant changes included the administration of the new STAAR Alternate 2 assessment and the revising of the grades 3–8 mathematics assessments.
STAAR Performance Standard Progression—Beginning with the 2015–2016 school year, the commissioner has implemented the new standard progression approach to replace the previous phase-in schedule. This document explains the approach and includes 2015–2016 projected pass rates using the new performance standard progression and the previous phase-in standards.
STAAR Percent Correct and Rigor—The fact that Texas students could pass last year’s STAAR Algebra I assessment with less than 50% of the items correct has raised questions. This document explains why 70% is not the passing standard. 
Why Does Texas Field Test—An explanation of field testing
Comparison of STAAR and TSI—A comparison of assessment characteristics between STAAR and the Texas Success Initiative assessments
STAAR Test Item Release Plan—The proposed release plan for the STAAR assessments
Allowed Substitute Assessments—The chart indicates what substitute assessments may be used in place of a particular STAAR EOC to meet the state’s assessment graduation requirements.

Test Development and Standard Setting
STAAR Test Development Process—An outline of the STAAR program’s test development process
Grades 3–8 Standard-Setting Process Overview
End-of-Course Standard-Setting Process Overview
Grade 3 Mathematics Assessed Curriculum
Grade 3 Mathematics STAAR Assessment Blueprint
Grade 3 Reading Assessed Curriculum
Grade 3 Reading STAAR Assessment Blueprint
Grade 8 Mathematics Assessed Curriculum
Grade 8 Mathematics STAAR Assessment Blueprint
Grade 8 Reading Assessed Curriculum
Grade 8 Reading STAAR Assessment Blueprint
Grade 8 Science Assessed Curriculum
Grade 8 Science STAAR Assessment Blueprint
Grade 8 Social Studies Assessed Curriculum
Grade 8 Social Studies STAAR Assessment Blueprint
Algebra I Assessed Curriculum
Algebra I STAAR Assessment Blueprint
English II Assessed Curriculum
English II STAAR Assessment Blueprint

Progress Measure
A Parent’s Guide to the STAAR Progress Measure, 2015
A Parent’s Guide to the ELL STAAR Progress Measure, 2015
STAAR Progress Measure Questions and Answers, including the ELL Progress Measure, 2015

Selected Released Test Forms and Items
Grade 3, 2015 Mathematics Released Test Items
Grade 3, 2015 Reading Released Test Items
Grade 8, 2015 Mathematics Released Test Items
Grade 8, 2015 Reading Released Test Items
Grade 8, 2015 Science Released Test Items
Grade 8, 2015 Social Studies Released Test Items
Algebra I, 2015 Released Test Items
English II, 2015 Released Test Items

Sample Reports
Understanding the Grades 3–8 Confidential Student Report
Understanding the STAAR Alternate 2 Confidential Student Report

Performance Tables (NEW, posted 1/13/2016)
STAAR 2012 to 2015: Comparison of Average Scale Scores and Pass Rates at Phase-In I, Final Recommended and Advanced Levels
Texas Assessment Program: Overview of Assessment Results at Final Program Standards, 1989–2015

NAEP
2015 NAEP Results for Texas Subgroups in Reading and Mathematics
2015 Texas NAEP Report—A report describing NAEP, how it is administered, and the 2015 results in reading and mathematics
October 26, 2015 Urban Institute NAEP Report—An overview of the Urban Institute’s study of NAEP results. The report provides a framework for assessing how much student achievement varies across similar states and the extent to which changes in state performance on the NAEP are accounted for by changes in the demographics of the state. The report calculates the relative performance of each state, adjusting for a range of student-level factors such as gender, race and ethnicity, limited English proficiency, eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch, etc.

Every Student Succeeds Act (NEW, posted 12/14/2015)
Comparison of Select Elements of ESEA Proposals and Conference Report—Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) comparison chart of select Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) proposals and the final conference report for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed December 10, 2015 
Memo: Overview of Projected ESSA Implementation Timeline—CCSSO projected implementation timeline for the ESSA

The Texas High Performance Schools Consortium (NEW, posted 12/14/2015)
In 2011, with Senate Bill (SB) 1557, the 82nd Legislature added §7.0561 to the Texas Education Code (TEC), establishing the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium (HPSC). The HPSC was created to inform the governor, legislature, and Commissioner of Education on methods for transforming Texas public schools by improving student learning through the implementation of four Consortium principles:

1. Digital learning – engagement of students in digital learning, including, but not limited to, engagement through the use of electronic textbooks and instructional materials and courses offered through the Texas Virtual School Network;
2. Learning standards – standards that a student must master to be successful in a competitive post-secondary environment;
3. Multiple assessments – various methods of determining student progress capable of being used to inform students, parents, school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools, on an ongoing basis, concerning the extent to which learning is occurring and the actions Consortium participants are taking to improve learning; and
4. Local control – ways in which reliance on local input and decision-making enable communities and parents to be involved in the important decisions regarding the education of their children.

SB 1557 requires the commissioner to submit two reports to the Legislature detailing the progress and performance of the Consortium, one in 2012 and one in 2014. Below are the Consortium’s reports to the commissioner.
2012 HPSC Report to the Commissioner
2014 HPSC Report to the Commissioner  

Texas Higher Education Strategic Plan: 2015–2030 (NEW, posted 1/14/2016)  

Accountability

2018 and beyond
HB 2804 Domains of Indicators—Graphical summary of the A–F System required by HB 2804
HB 2804 Summary—Summary of the five domains of indicators required by HB 2804
Text of HB 2804
Preview of TEC Chapter 39—Text of Texas Education Code (TEC) related to state accountability
Side-by-Side Comparison: Indices and Domains—Charts comparing current index system to HB 2804 domains

2013–2017
2015 State Accountability System Index Framework—Graphical summary of the 2015 performance index framework
Guiding Principles and Goals—Goals and guiding principles of the current state accountability system
Commissioner’s Charges for APAC and ATAC—Purpose statement and scope of work for APAC and ATAC members
Accountability Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) Membership—2015–16 ATAC membership
Accountability Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) Membership—2015–16 APAC membership
2016 Accountability Development Calendar—2016 calendar of APAC and ATAC meeting dates
Accountability Rating System One-Page Summary—Graphical overview of the state accountability system
Overview of 2015 Accountability—PowerPoint presentation on 2015 state accountability ratings, distinction designations, and system safeguards
2015 State Accountability Summary with Data Tables—2015 state accountability reports at the state level
Sample Accountability Summary, Data Tables, and Distinction Designation Reports—2015 state accountability reports for a sample campus, McNeil High School in Round Rock ISD
Highlights of the 2015 State Accountability Results—Key highlights of the 2015 accountability ratings
2015 State Summary of Ratings—Summary of 2015 state accountability ratings for districts and campuses
2015 State Summary of AEA Ratings—Summary of 2015 state accountability ratings for charter districts and alternative education campuses evaluated under alternative education accountability procedures
State Accountability Ratings—Campuses by Charter/Non-Charter 2015 and 2014—Number and percent of non-charter and charter districts and campuses receiving state accountability ratings under standard and AEA procedures in 2014 and 2015
Performance Index Targets and Corresponding Percentiles 2013–2015—Performance index targets and corresponding percentiles for districts and each campus type for 2013–2015
District State System Safeguards—Number and percent of districts meeting state system safeguards on the performance indicators and total indicators
Percentage of Campuses with at Least One Distinction Designation—Number and percent of campuses in each district that earned at least one distinction designation in 2015
Percentage of Campuses that Met All Distinction Designations—Number and percent of campuses in each district that earned all distinctions evaluated in 2015
District Percentage of Postsecondary Distinctions in Top Quartile—Number and percent of postsecondary indicators in the top quartile in 2015 by district 
How to Calculate Academic Achievement Distinction Designations for Sample High School—Explanation on how to calculate academic achievement distinction designations
Statewide Summary of 2015 Community and Student Engagement (CaSE) Ratings—Statewide summary of 2015 CaSE ratings for districts and campuses
2015 State Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR)—Statewide performance results on the various student performance and profile indicators reported on TAPR
2015 TAPR Glossary—Definitions for each of the student performance and profile indicators reported on TAPR
2015 Accountability Manual—Technical guide that explains how the state accountability system evaluates the academic performance of Texas public schools

2004–2011
Accountability Indicators 2004–2011—One page with charts explaining accountability indicators used 2004–2011
District Ratings by Rating Category 2005–2011—State accountability ratings assigned to districts from 2005–2011
Campus Ratings by Rating Category 2005–2011—State accountability ratings assigned to campuses from 2005–2011
Gold Performance Acknowledgements—Multi-Year Performance by Student Groups—Gold Performance Acknowledgments (GPA) assigned to districts and campuses from 2005–2011
Gold Performance Acknowledgements: Multi-Year Standards—Performance standards for the GPA indicators evaluated from 2005–2011
Rated Campuses by Charter/Non-Charter 2005–2011—Number and percent of non-charter and charter districts and campuses receiving state accountability ratings under standard and alternative education accountability (AEA) procedures from 2005–2011
State Performance On Accountability Indicators 2004–2011—Statewide results at TAKS met standard on the accountability indicators evaluated from 2004–2011
TAKS Commended Performance 2004–2011—Statewide results at TAKS commended on the accountability indicators evaluated from 2004–2011
Assessment and Accountability Factors Affecting the Rigor of the State Accountability System—Diagram illustrating the various factors that impact the rigor of the state accountability system
Summary of State Accountability Standards 2004–2011—Performance standards for the accountability indicators evaluated from 2004–2011

1994–2002
Accountability Indicators 1994–2002—Performance standards for the accountability indicators evaluated from 1994–2002
State Performance On Accountability Indicators: 1994–2002—Statewide results on the accountability indicators evaluated from 1994–2002
Accountability Indicators and Standards 1994–2002—Statewide results on the accountability standards evaluated from 1994–2002

Research

Accountability
Policy Brief: The Evidence on the “Florida Formula” for Education Reform (Albert Shanker Institute, 2015)—A policy brief summarizing education reforms and policy in Florida (NEW, posted 3/11/2016)
Aligning Expectations: Partnering with K–12 to Ensure College Readiness—A collaborative report coordinated by Higher Ed for Higher Standards to give educators a set of tools to ensure alignment of K–12 standards with college readiness (NEW, posted 3/11/2016)
Next Generation School Accountability–A Report Commissioned by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (outside source, 2015)—A review of the Oklahoma A–F school accountability system (NEW, posted 2/11/2016)
Summary of State School Accountability Rating Systems (TEA, 2015)—A two-page summary of state school accountability rating systems, with information taken from the ECS document listed below.
Public School Rating Systems by State (TEA, 2015)—From Education Commission of the States (2013). This is a formatted pdf of the ECS online document (outside source), which is a chart that details which rating system or systems the 50 states use, along with what the states measure and report for accountability.
Council of Chief State School Officers (2015). Evolving coherent systems of accountability for next generation learning: A decision framework. (Outside source, link is no longer active, no author listed)—Details sample options and state examples for transitioning accountability systems
American Institutes for Research Midwest Regional Education Laboratory (2014). REL Midwest Reference Desk state use of A–F accountability models. (Outside source; Link is no longer active.)—Provides information about 12 states employing A–F accountability models
Center on Reinventing Public Education (2014). Designing the next generation of state accountability systems: Results of a working meeting. (Outside source, no author listed)—This report presents results of a working meeting, at which accountability experts identified key objectives and design principles for next-generation accountability systems, as well as challenges to implementation. This document provides more background information than information on specific states.
Center for American Progress and Council of Chief State School Officers (2014). Next-Generation accountability systems: An overview of current state policies and practices. (Outside source, no author listed)—This report provides examples of how states are implementing next-generation accountability systems. Includes information specifically about college and career readiness, school-based improvement, state support and intervention systems, resource accountability, and professional accountability.
Education Week (2014). Teacher, school accountability systems shaken up: States move to delay, alter test-based rating systems, including 'A–F' approaches rolled out in recent years. (Outside source, author: Andrew Ujifusa)—Details some states' changes to their new accountability systems, including A–F systems. Note: When you open this web page online, click anywhere outside the sign-up popup box, and it will disappear, allowing you to read the full text.
 
Assessment (all links are to outside sources except where indicated)
Evaluating the Content and Quality of Next Generation Assessments—Article about evaluating the content and quality of next generation assessments from the Fordham Institute (NEW, posted 3/11/2016)
Assessments and Accountability (2001). (Author: Robert L. Linn)—Discusses significant features of present-day assessment programs and offers recommendations to increase positive effects and minimize negative ones. (NEW, posted 1/12/2016)
2015 Survey of State Test Directors: Standards, Assessment, and Accountability—This report presents results of an online survey of state assessment directors about issues related to changing assessments (PDF). (NEW, posted 1/5/2016)
Education Commission of the States (2015a). State summative assessments: 2015–16 school year. (Author: Julie Rowland Woods)—A chart comparing how the 50 states meet their testing requirements, including which grades and subjects are tested
Education Commission of the States (2015b). Testing trends: Considerations for choosing and using assessments. (Author: Julie Rowland Woods)—Information on how states decide which assessments to use in their states, how to implement them with college and career readiness in mind, and includes examples of how some states are moving forward
National Assessment of Educational Progress (2015). Mapping state proficiency standards onto NAEP scales: Results from the 2013 NAEP reading and mathematics assessments. (No author listed)—Compares NAEP standards to state proficiency standards, finding wide variation in standards among the states
Center for American Progress (2014). Testing overload in America's schools. (Author: Melissa Lararin)—Report on the amount of testing in schools. Discusses how state requirements and district requirements for assessments may differ.
Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (2013). Criteria for high-quality assessment. (Authors: Linda Darling-Hammond, Joan Herman, James Pellegrino, et al.)—This report defines and details five criteria for high-quality assessments in K-12. Includes some information about assessment in other countries as well.
Education Commission of the States (2012). End-of-course exams. (Author: Jennifer Dounay Zinth)—Provides information about states requirements for end-of-course exams. Includes a chart profiling 26 states' EOCs.
American Institutes for Research Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning Regional Education Laboratory Midwest Assessment and Accountability Center (2009). Overview of selected state accountability systems. (No author listed)—This 2009 overview surveyed statewide assessment reform in four broad categories, 1) content-standards-based assessment, 2) interim and benchmark assessment, 3) formative and classroom assessment, and 4) online or computer-based assessment. (Prepared for the Wisconsin Next Generation Assessment Task Force)
Bourque, M. (2006).  Reflections on norm-referenced vs. criterion-referenced testing in an NCLB environment. (Testimony before the Senate Commission on Education)—Testimony from a psychometric expert on the differences between NRT and CRT assessments

Legislation Related to Accountability (all links are to outside sources) (NEW, posted 3/11/2016)
Education Commission of the States offers a lot of information on legislation related to accountability in the states. The web page links below is a list of topics. Each topic opens a link with summaries of legislation related to each accountability subcategory. The full list is here.

Accountability
Accountability: Accreditation
Accountability: Measures / Indicators
Accountability: Reporting Results
Accountability: Rewards
Accountability: Sanctions / Interventions
Accountability: Sanctions / Interventions: Takeovers
Accountability: School Improvement
At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)
Competency-Based Education (K-12)
Education Research
High School: College Readiness
High School: Dropout Rates / Graduation Rates
No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind: Reauthorization Issues / Waivers
P-3 Data Systems
P-3 Ensuring Quality
Postsecondary: Accountability
Postsecondary: Completion / Attainment
State Comparisons / Statistics
Student Achievement
Student Achievement: Closing the Achievement Gap
Urban  

Legislation Related to Assessment (all links are to outside sources)
Education Commission of the States offers a lot of information on legislation related to assessments in the states. The web page links below open summaries of legislation related to each assessment subcategory. The assessments themselves are not detailed here. Most topics are listed below, and the full list is here.
Assessment
Assessment: Accommodations
Assessment: Backlash
Assessment: College Entrance Exams
Assessment: Computer Based
Assessment: End-of-Course
Assessment: Formative / Interim
Assessment: Performance Based / Portfolio
Assessment: Value Added
Brain Research
Cheating
Competency-Based Education (K–12)
Data-Driven Improvement
High School: Advanced Placement
High School: College Readiness
High School: Credit Recovery
High School: Exit Exams
High School: GED (General Education Development)
International Benchmarking
P-3 Content Standards and Assessment
P-3 Data Systems
Postsecondary Academic Affairs: Competency-Based / PLA
Postsecondary Success
Promotion / Retention
Remediation (K–12)
Special Education: Placement
Student Surveys

A couple of links on assessments:
Education Commission of the States (n.d.). State legislation: Assessment—Large chart with, in temporal order, state legislation on assessments.
Education Commissions of the States (n.d.). State Legislation: Assessment—End-of-course—Summary of legislation related to end-of-course assessments in the states.