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"These are Facts": Opportunities for and Barriers to Policy Changes that Support Learning

Barriers to high quality learning experiences are often indirectly attributed to policy, such as mandated testing, yet learning scientists seldom engage the policy arena. This study presents early-stage design-based implementation research that aims to change policy. Interactions between legislators and a collaboratory constituted to investigate performance assessments are analyzed to better understand barriers and opportunities. We found differences along party lines that can be interpreted as barriers and constraints, suggesting directions for our ongoing work. Issues Addressed Nationwide, in the United States, students take tests that are used to evaluate student progress, teacher effectiveness, and school quality; many test results are not useful in making instructional decisions and are controversial markers of learning and teacher effectiveness. To address this issue, a group of education leaders, teachers and university faculty formed a collaboratory. This group took their mission, vision, and research to the legislative education study committee (LESC) in hopes of launching policy change regarding opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery. Legislative perceptions of assessment practices and opportunities for learning are important to understand in order to make policy reform that creates opportunities for learning.