Introduction to “Challenges and Opportunities in the Design of ‘Next-Generation Assessments of 21st Century Skills’” Special Issue

We are pleased to introduce this special issue of the International Journal of Testing (IJT), on the theme “Challenges and Opportunities in the Design of ‘Next-Generation Assessments of 21 Century Skills.’” Our call elicited manuscripts related to evidence-based models or tools that facilitate the scalability of the design, development, and implementation of new forms of assessment. The articles sought to address topics beyond familiar tools and processes, such as automated scoring, in order to consider issues focusing on assessment architecture and assessment engineering models, with simulated learning and performance contexts, new item types, and steps taken to ensure reliability and validity. The issue’s aims are to enrich our understanding of what has worked well, why, and lessons learned, in order to strengthen future conceptualization and design of next-generation assessments (NGAs). We received a number of submissions, which do just that. The five pieces that constitute this issue were selected not only for their individual contributions but also because collectively, they illustrate broader principles and complement each other in their emphases. The articles illustrate lessons learned in current applications and provide insights to guide implementation in future extensions. Next, we offer thoughts on the challenges and opportunities stated in the call and the role of principled frameworks for the design of NGAs. A good place to begin a discussion of assessment design is Messick’s (1994) three-sentence description of the backbone of the underlying assessment argument: