States experiment with assessing soft skills alongside academic subjects

Many educators express a dislike for standardized tests, but only two states so far have opted into a new assessment pilot, which came without extra funding and tougher requirements. Some state officials across the country, however, still believe that newer styles of tests may identify gaps in learning better than the assessments most commonly used today, wrote Education Week.Kentucky is one state that is trying a new kind of assessment in two of its districts. The tests measure the ability to communicate — a soft skill — alongside academics, including math and reading. Georgia is testing three different styles of assessments, all created by three different districts, that allows teachers to make teaching adjustments mid-year.The goal is to support students, who often learn at their own pace — and create tests that then assess their unique educational path and progress.