Webinar: Connecting K-12 and Higher Education Through the Use of Performance Assessments

This webinar addressed why and how to align k-12 performance assessment systems for use in higher education decision-making for college access and success. This alignment is especially critical for students from groups historically underrepresented in institutions of higher education (IHEs), including students of color and students from low-income families. The webinar was held as part of the Reimagining College Access (RCA) initiative.

RCA seeks to connect two trends in education: (1) the use of performance assessments in k-12 to drive deeper learning and better postsecondary preparation; and (2) the use of more holistic approaches to college admissions, placement, and advising. The relevance of these trends in both of these education systems, and the need to advance them in ways that reinforce equity, has been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To do this well, we need to answer many questions, some of which we’ve explored in our 5/27 and 6/23 webinars. In our third webinar, we explored what high school students and their schools want IHEs to know about them, how performance assessments can provide evidence of learning, and how k-12 schools can align their systems to accommodate the needs of IHEs and provide reliable information that the institutions need.

The webinar was designed for k-12 systems and school leaders, high school and college access counselors, and leaders from IHEs and higher-ed systems, as well as state and district policymakers. It provided an overview of performance assessments and how they can be leveraged to support student preparation, transition, and success in postsecondary education.

Speakers:

• Monica Martinez (moderator), Director of Strategic Initiatives, Learning Policy Institute
• David Hawkins, Executive Director for Educational Content and Policy, National Association for College Admission Counseling
• Khalia Joseph, Manager of College Readiness, Internationals Network for Public Schools
• Chris White, Director of College Counseling & Educational Coach, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

To be notified of future webinars, please join RCA’s mailing list.

Photo courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action.