Publication Date

Spring 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

Advisor

Brent Duckor; Arnold Danzig; Richard Patz

Abstract

Directors of assessment in state departments of education are tasked with the planning and oversight, including development, field-testing, validation, and operationalization of statewide assessments. At the state level, directors of assessment are pivotal to a department of education’s ability to meet state and federal testing requirements. Directors of assessment hold their own opinions and beliefs, which may or may not be aligned with current adopted policies. The beliefs of those in state level educational bureaucracies about standardized testing has not been well-researched. It is hoped that this research will add to the greater understanding of statewide assessment. The goal of this research study was to learn what are the personal beliefs and experiences of directors of assessment regarding the importance of standardized testing. This was an exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 23 state-level directors of assessment across diverse U.S. regions. These findings hold significance to the research community because it is the first of its kind exploring the assessment beliefs of educational leaders within state departments of education. Overall, this research study shows that directors of assessment have positive views on the significance of standardized testing. These findings shed light on how leaders within state departments of education conceive of their work.

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