Collaborative Problem Solving: Considerations for the National Assessment of Educational Progress

There is an increased interest in collaboration and teamwork in the workforce, higher education, and K-12 education. The Assessment and Teaching of the 21st Century Skills (ATC21S) included collaboration among the most important skills necessary for a successful career. While there is widespread agreement in the field of education that collaboration is an important skill, there is less agreement on how to build an assessment to measure it. In 2015 the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published its draft framework, which included strong rationale for the inclusion of CPS, calling collaborative problem solving “a critical and necessary skill across educational settings and in the workforce.” This plan by the OECD to add CPS to its 2015 PISA test has important implications for U.S. assessments, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).