Integrating Assessment with Learning: What Will It Take to Make It Work?

Improving education is a priority for all countries. Increasing the level of educational achievement brings benefits to the individual, such as higher lifetime earnings, and to society as a whole, both in terms of increased economic growth and lower social costs such as health care and criminal justice costs (Gritz & MaCurdy, 1992; Hanushek, 2004; Levin, 1972; Tyler, Murnane, & Willett, 2000). Indeed, the total return on investments in education can be well over $10 for every $1 invested (Schweinhart et al., 2005). This means that even loosely focused investments in education are likely to be cost-effective. Given public skepticism about such long-term investments, however, and given too the reluctance of local, state, and federal governments to raise taxes, there is a pressing need to find the most cost-effective ways of improving student achievement.