Using tests to reform education is not a new concept. National and state education policies reflect confidence in the power of assessment to encourage school improvement. New understandings of the nature and context of student learning are shifting the movement away from traditional multiple-choice tests to alternative assessments. The emphasis is…

The present "factory" model of schooling is over 100 years old and continues many practices unsupported by research. School districts could implement research and development centers that investigate optional learning environments and lifestyles, implement unused research results, and offer a climate for developing new approaches and materials…