Let’s Improve Assessment Without Sacrificing Accountability (Opinion)

We know that parents are the best advocates for their child’s education. But for too long, our education system has failed to give families a clear answer about how their child is doing in school.

The information exists, but it is often buried, confusing, or shared in ways that do not give parents a straightforward understanding of what their child needs or allow students to take ownership of their learning. The nation’s report card serves as an illustrative example of this issue: On the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, just 31% of 4th grade students scored at the “proficient” level in reading and only 39% did so in math. Meanwhile, research shows that most parents are unaware of their child’s actual performance and assume their child is progressing as expected.

These alarming trends are a stark reminder of why robust assessment and accountability systems are so essential. That’s why the Trump administration is committed to returning education to the states in service of increasing academic achievement.

To advance our goal, the U.S. Department of Education recently convened state assessment and accountability leaders from 43 states and three territories to examine the most significant challenges states face as they work to improve student achievement and increase transparency for families and to consider how best to design effective systems. The discussions reflected bold ideas shaped by local priorities and reaffirmed the continued importance of summative assessments for policy and funding decisions.

Building on these themes, experts in artificial intelligence for assessment design, assessment literacy, and accountability led sessions for states that emphasized that while summative assessments are essential, they are most effective when situated within a cohesive, aligned assessment system that offers timely, usable information to educators and families. Comprehensive systems that incorporate multiple measures ensure that assessment serves not only institutional needs but also the students and families at the center of education.

Access to clear, timely information is also foundational to strong family engagement, a critical driver of academic success. When families understand their child’s progress, they ask more informed questions, set clearer goals, and collaborate more effectively with teachers. Make no mistake: Family engagement is one of the most powerful levers we have to strengthen and accelerate student achievement in this nation.

If we are serious about raising academic performance, we must be serious about equipping adults with the truth about how students are performing. Ensuring families have a clear picture of their child’s academic progress helps ensure they can partner with schools and teachers to foster improvement. Likewise, when students know exactly where they stand, they are more motivated, more focused, and more likely to succeed.

Outcomes will not improve until we change adult behavior and adult expectations. Breaking the mold on what has historically been done and getting out of our comfort zone is the only way to make real, meaningful, lasting change. We can do this by creating assessment systems that talk to one another. Rather than siloed versions of tests that generate different information, states can integrate different forms of assessments into one comprehensive system that captures where students are. When we know where students are, strong accountability systems then help provide families and educators with the tools they need to support student improvement and academic success.

To empower states to continue this important work, the Education Department, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, launched a Competitive Grants for State Assessments competition on April 30. These funds will allow awardees to innovate and strengthen their assessment and accountability systems to better serve students and families.

States design their own systems within federal guidelines. Unfortunately, those federal guidelines can unintentionally impede improvement. To that end, the Education Department aims to reduce the federal footprint while raising expectations for students’ academic achievement through Returning Education to the States Waivers. This is at the very heart of how the Elementary and Secondary Education Act’s waiver authority was designed—states can request waivers from federal requirements if they can show how the waiver will improve academic performance.

With flexibility comes responsibility, and flexibility is not a license to obscure outcomes. The department cannot—and will not—approve waivers that weaken transparency, blur performance data, or make it harder for parents to see how schools are truly serving students. Accountability data must be clear, comparable, and public. Innovation is welcome. Hiding poor academic performance is not.

Our commitment to rigorous assessment and meaningful accountability is unwavering. As a mother of three (and a grandmother) and a lifelong educator, I understand the question every parent asks: “Is my child really on track?” Families deserve straightforward answers. They deserve to see, in plain terms, how their child is performing and where additional support—such as tutoring—is needed. Students deserve that clarity, too.