Abstract
This chapter presents recent data and analysis that illustrate how higher‐quality assessments can become affordable. The United States is poised to take a major step in the direction of curriculum and assessments for deeper learning with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards in more than forty states. Policymakers would like to know whether the benefits of performance assessment justify the burdens. The benefits may justify the burdens from the perspective of education. As illustrated in the chapter, the costs associated with performance assessments have declined over the past decade, making it more attractive to incorporate some degree of performance assessment into state testing programs. Some states in the U.S. and nearly all local districts are making considerable investments in interim and benchmark assessments, test preparation materials and programs, and interventions to improve scores.