This initiative has its roots in the 1990s when states began creating academic standards for their schools. Governors from various states banded together to create Achieve, Inc., an organization devoted to the creation and adoption of viable standards. By 2009, a set of common standards had been written and agreed

Are assessments that have a high-impact outcome, where, for example, passing the test would allow the student entry into a grade or permission to graduate. Ultimately, students’ futures rely on these standardized test scores. Some subjects, such as foreign languages and humanities, are not included in the tests.

A uniform graduate business entrance assessment given by the nonprofit Graduate Management Admission Council, which assesses verbal, quantitative and analytical writing skills.

A uniform American medical school entrance assessment manage by the nonprofit Association of American Medical Colleges, which assesses verbal reasoning and writing skills and physical and biological sciences knowledge.

A uniform college entrance assessment administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) on behalf of the nonprofit College Board, which measures reading, writing and math skills.

An innate capacity or talent in a particular area of study or work.

When the way an assessment is administered or interpreted in a manner that disadvantages specific groups of students or people.

The awarding of higher grades than students have earned, due to decreased teacher expectations or to protect the academic reputations of the school or university.

A form of assessment where the rigor or questions is adjusted based on the student’s response. For instance, if the student a question correctly, the next question will be harder; if a student answers incorrectly, the next question will be easier. In essence, the assessment adapts to accommodate the test

Are used by institutions of higher education to check the academic skills or college readiness of incoming students. It is also used to determine which courses students should be required to take initially. For students who are ready to tackle college-level courses, they start out with all or mostly freshman