Much has been written in the local newspapers recently about the performance of public school students on the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT). It has become an annual ritual: newspaper headlines heralding the improvement, decline, or status quo of student achievement; interviews and quotes from public officials rationalizing the results, justifying performance due to limited resources and inherent limitations of the test; and promises from education administrators that next year will be different.

It is clear that the SAT results alone do not provide a fair assessment of the quality of the public school system. We believe, however, that we should not damn the test simply because our students aren't doing well. We should take a long, hard look in the mirror and acknowledge the fact that our students have much room for improvement. We must focus our energy on how we can help students learn and what role an effective assessment program can play in our crusade for excellence in the public schools.

A comprehensive assessment program is a critical element in our efforts to restructure the public school system. First and foremost, we believe that any testing or assessment program should be a tool for teachers to use in shaping an individualized program for each student. Every child can learn, and appropriate assessment tools will better assist teachers in helping students develop and achieve their fullest potential.

Second, an assessment program must be multidimensional and must include a mix of authentic performance measures, such as student projects in a portfolio, as well as national, norm-referenced tests, such as the Stanford Achievement Test. Authentic performance measures must become embedded and integrated into the curriculum. Teachers, students, and parents must become active and dynamic partners in the assessment process. They must evaluate the results of a student's performance and seek ways to develop the student's potential.

There are many who say that national, standardized tests have no value. We disagree. We are living in a new "global village," and it is essential that the education our children receive prepares them to excel in the twenty-first century. There is much activity throughout the country on improving assessment instruments, and efforts such as those by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show much progress in setting national educational standards, in removing regional/ethnic bias in questions, and in evaluating high-order thinking skills. Only through national or global standardization will we be able to benchmark the performance of our students against others throughout the world.

Finally, the assessment program must be based on performance standards that define what public school graduates should know, think about, and be able to do. That's exactly what the Commission on Performance Standards is all about. The Commission's primary goal is to set state student-performance standards and to recommend assessment models. Once performance standards are set, we can begin the arduous task of restructuring the curriculum in each of our public schools to ensure the best for our children. We believe our students can be the best in the world-- if given a chance.

Perhaps, in the near future, we'll be reading headlines heralding a new era in the way we assess student performance. That can easily happen if we stop using test scores for self-serving purposes and use them for what they're supposed to be used for-- our children.