Key assessment issues for the future

Abstract

Over the last decade, assessment and accountability have emerged as areas of significance in future educational practice. On the one hand, educators are focusing on implementation of agendas to improve practical knowledge and application of assessment through policies and projects such as Assessment for Learning and development of an assessment culture among teachers from Preparatory Year to Year 12. On the other hand, policy-makers are strengthening the role of externally-mandated and reported assessment for accountability purposes. In this paper, we identify and discuss seven issues that present opportunity and challenge emerging from such a focus on assessment and its role in education. The issues are by no means exhaustive but are illustrative of the challenges that assessment must consider to be effective in new times.