Ahead of the Curve is the second book in the Leading Edge series. The Leading Edge is the undefined space where leaders venture to impact change¿it is the place where transformation begins. The Leading Edge series unites education authorities from around the globe and asks them to confront the important issues that affect teachers and administrators¿the issues that profoundly impact student success. The experts contributing to this anthology do not prescribe one method to transact change. They embrace the mission, trusting that teachers and administrators¿the true change leaders¿will venture to the Leading Edge to embrace the challenges and opportunities that will guarantee the success of their students. Ahead of the Curve provides a comprehensive view of the challenges of assessment¿from a classroom, system, and leadership standpoint¿and examines the many perspectives of effective assessment design and implementation. The distinguished contributors to this volume support the premise that the fundamental purpose of assessment is not to rate, rank, and sort students, but rather to provide meaningful feedback that leads to improved performance. The authors believe that assessment is most productive when its purpose is for learning rather than for simply measuring it. Section 1 explores the issues of classroom assessment. Section 2 considers the challenges of system-level assessment. Section 3 considers specific assessment challenges for English language learners and special needs students. Section 4 addresses the issues of assessment leadership. And the epilogue presents a powerful example of assessment excellence in action.