Standards, Testing, and Accountability

Median SAT scores have jumped again since the last analysis in 2020

There’s reason to suspect that the gold standard for academic achievement is losing its shine

Infrequent national testing in history and civics, limited state results hamper progress

For civics to matter again, students must actively engage with their own constitutional rights

An experimental intervention in the 1980s raised certain test scores by two standard deviations. It wasn’t just tutoring, and it’s never been replicated, but it continues to inspire.