The Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability has submitted its report to the state with 14 short- and long-term recommendations. This report, which just scratches the surface of what is possible in Texas, should involve more stakeholders, including teachers, in shaping future policy.

I voted in support of the report, realizing the recommendations were neither perfect nor aligned with all of my views. My vote reflected a respect for my fellow commissioners and an acknowledgment of our diverse viewpoints. It also recognized the consensus we reached on recommendations, such as aligning the state accountability system with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, allowing locally-developed writing assessments to substitute for the STAAR writing assessments, and placing greater emphasis on student growth.

I went into this process with the optimistic belief that the commission could be trans-formative and guide state leaders toward breakthrough models that rethink how Texas collects evidence of learning. I was hopeful that the commission would recognize the harmful nature of high-stakes testing and recommend a more balanced approach that includes metrics for diagnosing and helping students. While the commission heard expert testimony about the need for multiple indicators, the final recommendations do not reduce high-stakes testing, despite the lack of evidence that it does students any good. Generally, the commission’s recommendations yield short-term changes that tweak the current system.

In the report, I am most inspired by the long-term, potentially transformative vision to individualize student assessment. Commissioners talked about computerized-adaptive testing to measure individual performance and growth. However, to have a benefit to students, these diagnostic tests must be low stakes and help guide teachers in their instruction and preparation.

The current STAAR test, with limited information to teachers for instructional change, is mainly used to compare performance across the state — creating a system of winners and losers. The STAAR, a flawed metric, is not supported by parents as shown in a recent survey by the State Board of Education. The Texas High Performance Schools Consortium, which provided testimony to the commission, suggests that “writing samples, project-based demonstrations, journals, science projects, reading response logs, and digital portfolios offer evidence of a wider range of student knowledge, skills, and progress than standardized tests.”

These are examples of a more transformative approach involving measures focused on the learning that takes place rather than a heavy-handed approach that only measures outputs from a test. Texas should invest in research and development of next-generation assessments that measure learning accurately and authentically.

Educational measurement is complex as it investigates human knowledge and ability. The diversity of Texas adds more complication. Ultimately, the state needs a long-term plan to research and develop a next-generation system for assessing and measuring student progress. We need a system that retains the best of the last 50 years, removes what no longer fits, and incorporates new practices aligned to the present and our state’s vision for the future.

Pauline Dow, Ed.D., is chief instructional officer, North East ISD.