Speaking glibly against high-stakes testing is easy but their effects are like residual pesticides. They linger in systems long after their application. The ideas that prompted their widespread use persist even among those who might disavow over-testing. Sometimes detection of toxic testing residuals can be tricky. Standing in front […]
Tag Archives: Formative Assessment
The K-12 Education Speech We Need From Democrats
The K-12 Education Speech We Need From Democrats With the Elementary, Secondary Education Act (ESEA) once again up for reconsideration in Congress, it is time for the Democratic presidential hopefuls to take a stand. Candidates Sanders, O’Malley and Clinton have decided that to differentiate themselves from their Republican rivals, they must make a direct, unmistakable […]
What’s the purpose of education in the 21st century?
Debate about the purposes of education never seems to end. Should young people become educated to get prepared to enter the workforce, or should the purpose of education be focused more on social, academic, cultural and intellectual development so that students can grow up to be engaged citizens? … But it doesn’t have to be either-or. […]
Resistance to Attacks on Public Education is Not Enough
The Vergara vs California superior court decision to throw out five state statutes that provide job protections to teachers underscores the persistence, power and wealth behind current education policies. Response from critics has been swift and sharp. However, if we want to defend and improve a democratically-governed public education system that promotes authentic engagement and equity, resistance […]
What If We Approached Testing This Way?
Frequent high-stakes testing and its misuse for teacher evaluation are poisoning the assessment waters. Assessment should not be the goal of learning. The word “assessment” should not make students, teachers, administrators and parents cringe. It does not have to be this way. For students and their teachers the most effective use of assessment is to guide […]
What if?
What if we could more precisely identify where each student was along the pathway to learning? What if we could be more accurate at sorting out the nuances in his or her gaps in understanding? What if we focused most of our assessment attention on becoming better at interpreting daily data from regular class work […]
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