Charlie DePascale

Thinking Outside of the Ballot Box

If there is one thing that we can agree on in this divided country it is that 2020 has sucked. If the cascading crises were not bad enough, we have also lost almost all of the distractions and diversions we normally rely on to escape and reduce stress: attending sporting events, live concerts, and musicalContinue reading “Thinking Outside of the Ballot Box”

Too Much of a Good Thing

If asked to identify the biggest successes of the Education Reform movement over the past two decades I would have to put selling the importance of disaggregating data at or near the top of my list. Acceptance and adoption of the practice of disaggregating data is well beyond what one might expect from mere complianceContinue reading “Too Much of a Good Thing”

Equating 2020 – Opportunity Lost

For a brief moment last spring the disruptions caused by COVID-19 appeared to offer a once-in-a-lifetime teachable moment in the form of an opportunity for real-time discussions with stakeholders about the concepts and assumptions that are at the heart of equating state assessments. Alas, much like people’s understanding of equating, that opportunity proved to beContinue reading “Equating 2020 – Opportunity Lost”

Don’t Go There, Charlie

In 2017, I shared an idea for a post with my small circle of confidants. The response was immediate and unanimous, “Don’t go there, Charlie.” Last year, I shared the same idea with a wider circle of family and colleagues and again, “Don’t go there, Charlie.” But with the world already turned upside down inContinue reading “Don’t Go There, Charlie”

You never forget your first

Time passes. Interests change. Something new catches your eye. Yes, life moves on, but you never forget your first. You never forget that lecture, book, or journal article that sparked the flame that ignited your career – it’s always a part of you. For many of my colleagues in measurement and assessment it likely wasContinue reading “You never forget your first”

For Dad

Thinking of my Dad on what would have been his 92nd birthday. The eulogy I delivered at his funeral in June 2009.

He Makes a Valid Point

Charlie DePascale I first met Greg Cizek in May 2007 at the Contemporary Issues in High Stakes Testing Conference – a gathering in Lincoln, Nebraska to honor the career of Barbara Plake. From the audience, Greg engaged another participant (who will not be named) in a vigorous, thoughtful, and thought-provoking debate on theContinue reading “He Makes a Valid Point”

The Old “New Normal”

Charlie DePascale As I look out the window and see my wife working in her vegetable garden, I cannot help but reflect on COVID-19, social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and the “new normal” that we are moving toward by fits and starts. No, she is not wearing a mask in our backyard, but …Continue reading “The Old “New Normal””

Admissions & Assessment

Everything We Know About College Admissions and Assessment From A to A Charlie DePascale Several of my recent posts since have been related either directly, indirectly, peripherally, or exasperatingly to college admissions testing. That got me thinking about what we actually know about assessment and its role in the college admissions process. Having experienced theContinue reading “Admissions & Assessment”

I Can ‘C’ Clearly Now

Charlie DePascale The pandemic, concerns related to social justice and fairness, and a host of pre-2020 pre-existing conditions have pushed private and public institutions of higher education to either temporarily suspend or more permanently drop the use of tests such as the ACT and SAT as part of the college admissions process. At the K-12Continue reading “I Can ‘C’ Clearly Now”