Making Assessment Reports More Meaningful for Students & Families

New York

EdTrust–New York is a statewide education policy and advocacy organization focused first and foremost on doing right by New York’s children. Although many organizations speak up for the adults employed by schools and colleges, we advocate for students, especially those whose needs and potential are often overlooked.

West

EdTrust–West is committed to dismantling the racial and economic barriers embedded in the California education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust-West engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice and increases political and public will to build an education system where students of color and multilingual learners, especially those experiencing poverty, will thrive.

Massachusetts

The Education Trust team in Massachusetts convenes and supports the Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership (MEEP), a collective effort of more than 20 social justice, civil rights and education organizations from across the Commonwealth working together to promote educational equity for historically underserved students in our state’s schools.

P-12

Social, Emotional and Academic Development

Making Assessment Reports More Meaningful for Students & Families

This report offers guidance on how schools can better communicate the results of students’ federally required annual tests so parents can be better informed about how their students are doing in school and work with educators to get appropriate support.

April 11, 2024 by Nicholas Munyan-Penney, Shayna Levitan

collage of images depicting parents reading with their children and teachers in school settings

This EdTrust report, “Making Assessment Reports More Meaningful for Students & Families,” offers guidance on how schools can better communicate the results of students’ federally required annual tests so parents can be better informed about how their students are doing in school and work with educators to get appropriate support.

Download the Report

Specifically, this brief:

Calls for individual assessment reporting results to be integrated into existing communications with families
Highlights the role that trusted voices play in communicating this information
Identifies best practices for designing individual score reports for students and families
Offers promising strategies and policy recommendations that advocates can push for to improve assessment reporting at the state level

Also available is an example of what a better annual assessment report can look like.

Check out our other reports on how to improve statewide assessment tests

Advocates’ Guide to Demanding Racially and Culturally Inclusive State Assessments

The Future of Assessments: Centering Equity and the Lived Experiences of Students, Families, and Educators

Check out our other reports on family engagement

Engaging First: Supporting Young Learners Through Family Engagement

How Student, Family, and Community Engagement Impacts Students’ Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD)