Seven years after the Common Core standards were introduced, there are still a large number of states using the standards, and support for common standards remains high. However, not much progress has been made in pulling together data from Common Core-aligned tests in different states that would allow researchers to make comparisons across states, Matt Barnum notes in an article for Chalkbeat.
Though their numbers have since dwindled substantially, the two groups [PARCC and Smarter Balanced] still count over 20 members between them. But seven years later, it remains difficult to make detailed comparisons across states, as a potent mix of technical challenges, privacy concerns, and political calculations have kept the data relatively siloed. And there’s little evidence that the common tests have pushed states to compare notes or change course.
Barnum identifies many ways that the data could be used if these barriers could be overcome.
In an article for Education Next, Ashley Jochim and Patrick McGuinn describe the development of the two consortia that developed Common Core-aligned tests. They also look at the forces that caused many of the 45 states participating in one or both consortia to drop out.
— Education Next
