But first I just want to explain why
infrastructure matters so much, and what's gone
wrong with the way we provide it in Britain.
This prediction will puzzle, upset, and maybe infuriate a great many readers — and, of course, it could turn out to be
wrong — but enough clues, tips, tidbits, and intuitions have converged in recent weeks that I feel obligated to make it: I expect that PARCC and Smarter Balanced (the two federally subsidized consortia of states that are developing new assessments meant to be aligned
with Common Core standards) will fade away, eclipsed and supplanted by long - established yet fleet - footed testing firms that already possess the
infrastructure, relationships, and durability that give them huge advantages in the competition for state and district business.