Keeping these three categories
of classroom assessment in mind, let us consider seven specific assessment and grading practices that can enhance teaching and learning.
And, most significantly, especially for students, the education community is beginning to balance its reliance on external assessment systems with an
understanding of classroom assessment's instructional power.
Although the primary
purpose of classroom assessments is to inform teaching and learning, data derived from these assessments can be used for accountability purposes.
In
terms of classroom assessment, it discusses the importance of assessment to support the complex ways that mathematics is understood by students and to promote student learning.
Tools for Thoughtful Assessment contains proven, teacher - friendly tools to engage learners while enhancing the
quality of classroom assessment practices.
John Hattie's new mindframes for Visible Learning research identifies «Assessment shows me my effect» as a shift in thinking about the
value of classroom assessment.
Popham argues that assessment in the United States has suffered from six crucial, recurring problems: too many curricular targets; the
underutilization of classroom assessment; preoccupation with instructional process; the dearth of «affective» assessments, i.e., those focused on attitudes, interests, and values; instructionally insensitive accountability tests; and the reality that educators «know almost nothing about educational assessment.»
Unfortunately, as early as the primary grades, some students begin to lose hope and disengage — a direct
result of classroom assessment practices that may be dull, that may miss the targeted needs of the individual learners, that may result in calculated scores without corrective feedback, that may label or track learners by ability, or any other type of activity that destroys hope and neglects to build efficacy.
After conducting a decade of in - school research on the state and
status of classroom assessment in U.S. schools, Dr. Stiggins authored a leading and award - winning introductory textbook for teachers on classroom assessment, An Introduction to Classroom Assessment FOR Student Learning, now in its seventh edition with Pearson Education.
Nationwide, the backlash to high - stakes assessment has begun to dilute the
importance of classroom assessment, district common assessment, and state and national assessment.
He is the author of 20 books, 4 invited book chapters, and 18 refereed journal articles, and he has consulted with numerous schools and districts on the broad
topic of classroom assessment, data - driven decision making, and classroom - based action research.
There should be at least two
administrations of a classroom assessment in order to assess growth, and the goal should be to create assessments with a high degree of what Popham calls «instructional sensitivity.»
Though end - of - grade performance expectations are identified in the CCSS, teachers must also consider how
differentiation of classroom assessments can be tailored to support the ongoing development of each student's literacy and numeracy), in order to meet gifted students» unique academic and social - emotional needs.