- To translate NCME research into tools that educators and assessment specialists can use
These goals led to the 2024 NCME Annual Meeting Theme: Reconceptualizing Measurement Theory and Practice to Reduce Inequities. I, along with the NCME Annual Meeting Chairs, Jonathan Weeks and Adamy Wyse; and the Training Program Chairs, Wesley Bonifay and Ji Seung Yang, encouraged submissions that challenge traditional conceptions of measurement and that explore constructive roles for measurement in reducing inequity and better reflecting the true nature of each individual.
I was very pleased that you, our members, responded. This year’s conference will have ten sessions devoted to the expanding role of artificial intelligence in measurement, five sessions exploring fairness and equity in measurement, four sessions exploring new frameworks for admissions to higher education, and two sessions covering multicultural issues. Additionally, on the first day of the conference, we will have an opening keynote address by bestselling author Sam Kean, who will talk about the importance of measurement in various contexts not usually considered in NCME conferences. We will end the first day’s sessions with a panel discussion of the impact of measurement on people’s lives.
Throughout the year, the NCME Board and the various NCME Committees have also responded to the directives I set out at the beginning of the year. As a way to create a more welcoming environment in NCME, the Graduate Student Issues Committee continues to explore the introduction of affinity groups. I have reached out to the Past Presidents to help determine a way to expand the reach of NCME internationally.
This year, the NCME Board has explored the role of testing in society, to better appreciate the important part that NCME could play in shaping national policy. Toward this end, the Board studied past (e.g., the 1946 Mendez v. Westminster School District case, which brought an end to school segregation in California) and more recent (the recent Pennsylvania school funding case, concerning equal access to high-quality public education) court cases in which testing played a prominent role. As a result of these studies, I have plans to set up a Presidential task force on educational measurement and civil rights. The work is expected to advocate for correct understanding of educational tests and assessments, their forms, purposes and limitations, so that efforts to advance civil rights, whether in the courts or legislative bodies, may be well informed.
My final goal was to translate NCME research into practice. I see many great efforts within NCME to achieve this end, but I will point out two here. First, The State and Local Assessment Leaders SIGIMIE has two sponsored sessions at the 2024 NCME conference. The first session will address Peer Review of State Assessments; Don Peasley from the U.S. Department of Education has agreed to participate on the panel for the Peer Review session alongside state and local leaders. The second session, continuing earlier DEI sessions, will focus on building relationships to bridge gaps in SALAL’s equity and fairness advocacy efforts. Several nationally recognized equity champions will join the session. The second effort I want to highlight is the Classroom Assessment Conference scheduled for September 19-20, 2024, at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago. The conference theme is “Reclaiming the Promise of Balanced Assessment Systems: Achieving Deeper Learning at Scale for Both Students and Adults.” As with previous conferences, I expect this convening to make NCME research available to a wider audience and to provide an impetus for its infusion into classroom pedagogy.
Although it may at times appear slow, I have been very encouraged by this year’s progress. It all comes from the joint efforts of NCME members like you, who have dedicated yourselves to the advancement of measurement. For that I thank you. I hope to see you all in Philadelphia.