Districts commonly use assessments—typically district and state tests—to determine whether they are meeting student achievement goals. The results often influence decisions about student advancement, instructional program quality, and funding.
While standardized testing generally dominates the conversation, many districts are now shifting their focus toward assessments that align with goals of increasing student engagement and fostering 21st-century skills. At the classroom level, teachers are rethinking grading practices and incorporating formative assessments, portfolios, and other tools to help students set and monitor their own learning goals. However, ensuring the validity and reliability of these innovative practices remains a challenge.
—Student
—Educator
—Community Member
Below we highlight perspectives of educators and school staff regarding priorities for curriculum and assessment redesign efforts.
Explore the tiles below to learn more about projects and resources that aim to support the redesign and development of curricular resources, instructional tools, and assessments.
This paper examines the Portrait of a Graduate, particularly how to redesign skills-based learning trajectories.
The Learner Variability Project seeks to build on learning sciences research to better understand and address the needs of the whole learner, from PreK to adulthood, to personalize instruction.
The Challenge Based Science Learning Toolkit guides educators in developing science units that build on student interest, lead to deeper learning, and engage students in using science to solve problems in their community.
Explore the variety of free and fee-based resources that Digital Promise offers to help CTE educators boost their knowledge and skills around global competence and to encourage students to do the same—from sample project plans that are geared toward integrating global content into courses to self-paced, online training modules for educators and students.
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
Learner Variability Navigator |
The Learner Variability Navigator helps educators find research-based strategies to personalize learning experiences in order to understand and address the whole learner. |
The IEP Project |
Learn about Digital Promise’s IEP Project and access additional resources to write and implement individualized education plans (IEPs) grounded in whole-child, strength-based approaches. |
The IEP Project: A Strength-based, Whole Learner Teacher Guide |
This teacher co-designed guidebook provides teachers with reflective questions, a sample response bank, strategies from the research-based Learner Variability Navigator, and other resources to write strength-based whole-child IEPs. |
Shifting Mindsets: Designing Lessons for Learner Variability |
A look at how the Learner Variability Navigator tool and resources has led to increased student engagement, content knowledge, and confidence in their learning. |
Edcamp: Design for Learning |
Edcamp: Design for Learning was a series of four Edcamps centered on Transcend’s Designing for Learning principles: Individual Variability, Cognition, Motivation, and Identity. |
| Resource |
Learner Variability Navigator |
|---|---|
| Description |
The Learner Variability Navigator helps educators find research-based strategies to personalize learning experiences in order to understand and address the whole learner. |
| Resource |
The IEP Project |
| Description |
Learn about Digital Promise’s IEP Project and access additional resources to write and implement individualized education plans (IEPs) grounded in whole-child, strength-based approaches. |
| Resource |
The IEP Project: A Strength-based, Whole Learner Teacher Guide |
| Description |
This teacher co-designed guidebook provides teachers with reflective questions, a sample response bank, strategies from the research-based Learner Variability Navigator, and other resources to write strength-based whole-child IEPs. |
| Resource |
Shifting Mindsets: Designing Lessons for Learner Variability |
| Description |
A look at how the Learner Variability Navigator tool and resources has led to increased student engagement, content knowledge, and confidence in their learning. |
| Resource |
Edcamp: Design for Learning |
| Description |
Edcamp: Design for Learning was a series of four Edcamps centered on Transcend’s Designing for Learning principles: Individual Variability, Cognition, Motivation, and Identity. |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
Incorporating Global Skills |
Curated by Digital Promise, these professional development and free resources to assist CTE educators with incorporating global skills into their courses. |
Transformative Education Solutions for Global Education Leaders |
Digital Promise offers an array of opportunities for global education leaders and organizations to partner with us to develop relevant, transformative education solutions. |
Computational Thinking for an Inclusive World: A Resource for Educators to Learn and Lead, Quick Start and Discussion Guide |
This quick start and discussion guide helps educators learn about and build capacity to engage students in computational thinking. |
Computational Thinking Pathways |
This resource empowers all levels of educators to learn about and strengthen their capacity to engage students in computational thinking. |
Center for Integrative Research in Computing and Learning Sciences (CIRCLS) |
CIRCLS was a community-based hub of researchers who explored and investigated innovative technologies that will be more broadly available to learners in 5-10 years. |
Edcamp: Emerging Technology in the Classroom |
Edcamps centered on understanding the adoption and use of new technologies in the classroom and how practitioners can influence the researchers and developers of those technologies. |
Maker Learning Edcamp Resources |
Edcamp: Maker Learning brought educators together to share strategies for creating engaging, hands-on learning activities. |
| Resource |
Incorporating Global Skills |
|---|---|
| Description |
Curated by Digital Promise, these professional development and free resources to assist CTE educators with incorporating global skills into their courses. |
| Resource |
Transformative Education Solutions for Global Education Leaders |
| Description |
Digital Promise offers an array of opportunities for global education leaders and organizations to partner with us to develop relevant, transformative education solutions. |
| Resource |
Computational Thinking for an Inclusive World: A Resource for Educators to Learn and Lead, Quick Start and Discussion Guide |
| Description |
This quick start and discussion guide helps educators learn about and build capacity to engage students in computational thinking. |
| Resource |
Computational Thinking Pathways |
| Description |
This resource empowers all levels of educators to learn about and strengthen their capacity to engage students in computational thinking. |
| Resource |
Center for Integrative Research in Computing and Learning Sciences (CIRCLS) |
| Description |
CIRCLS was a community-based hub of researchers who explored and investigated innovative technologies that will be more broadly available to learners in 5-10 years. |
| Resource |
Edcamp: Emerging Technology in the Classroom |
| Description |
Edcamps centered on understanding the adoption and use of new technologies in the classroom and how practitioners can influence the researchers and developers of those technologies. |
| Resource |
Maker Learning Edcamp Resources |
| Description |
Edcamp: Maker Learning brought educators together to share strategies for creating engaging, hands-on learning activities. |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
Project Topeka Argumentative Writing Resources for Students and Teachers |
Project Topeka brought together cutting-edge tools and high-quality instructional resources from industry leaders to support educators teaching argumentative writing. |
Lessons from Project Topeka: Research and Perspectives |
Research-based perspectives offer lessons for writing instruction and teacher professional learning. |
Deeper Discussion in World History |
The project is designing open-access curricular supports to deepen discussions in world history. Curricular materials will be available summer 2026. |
| Resource |
Project Topeka Argumentative Writing Resources for Students and Teachers |
|---|---|
| Description |
Project Topeka brought together cutting-edge tools and high-quality instructional resources from industry leaders to support educators teaching argumentative writing. |
| Resource |
Lessons from Project Topeka: Research and Perspectives |
| Description |
Research-based perspectives offer lessons for writing instruction and teacher professional learning. |
| Resource |
Deeper Discussion in World History |
| Description |
The project is designing open-access curricular supports to deepen discussions in world history. Curricular materials will be available summer 2026. |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
Powerful Blended Learning in Low-tech Settings: 5 Lessons from Guinea |
Digital Promise gathered insights on how educators can leverage digital tools low-tech settings to deliver powerful learning. |
Strategies for Teaching and Learning in Remote and Hybrid Learning Environments |
The Education Development Center’s Haiti Pilot report shares strategies for teaching and learning in remote and hybrid learning environments. |
Rural (Appalachian) Ingenuity Story 2-Pagers Connecting CT/STEAM and Local Innovation |
These two-pagers show how local ingenuity and computational thinking connect. Use them as inspiration and templates to discover and showcase local ingenuity in your community. |
| Resource |
Powerful Blended Learning in Low-tech Settings: 5 Lessons from Guinea |
|---|---|
| Description |
Digital Promise gathered insights on how educators can leverage digital tools low-tech settings to deliver powerful learning. |
| Resource |
Strategies for Teaching and Learning in Remote and Hybrid Learning Environments |
| Description |
The Education Development Center’s Haiti Pilot report shares strategies for teaching and learning in remote and hybrid learning environments. |
| Resource |
Rural (Appalachian) Ingenuity Story 2-Pagers Connecting CT/STEAM and Local Innovation |
| Description |
These two-pagers show how local ingenuity and computational thinking connect. Use them as inspiration and templates to discover and showcase local ingenuity in your community. |
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