RE: NEW QUESTION(3): Assessment and Accountability

Think of assessment and testing separately.

A test is a test.  It comes after a chunk of learning such as a unit or a year and it samples.  The questions of necessity must attempt to test only one concept or skill.  Since the test must sample, it provides an indication of learning, not a full report on learning.  Picture writing 'on demand' as opposed to time to research, brainstorm, talk to others about, construct a thoughtful piece, receive feedback, revise, publish.  Which is a better indicator of your facility as a communicator?  Testing asks who got it? ( ' it' being a sample of the larger "IT" we want all students to know.)

Assessment is seamlessly integrated with instruction.  It happens in the moment providing the opportunity to adjust the learning opportunity to the learners with you.  It happens at the end of the class, to inform what you will do with the students tomorrow, it happens at the end of the week, to help you plan for the next week. An effective teacher is constantly using a variety of assessments to see who is learning what is intended and who needs more learning opportunties to become more confident and competent.

A really effective 'assessment system' would focus more on the formative assessments that inform instruction and meet the needs of each learner than the end of the year test that measures one moment in time and provides no useful information to increase the learning of that child.

What I really want to know is can the learner use the information when they need it? Can they apply what they have learned in new situations?  Can they make connections between seemingly disconnected events or information to broaden their own knowledge?  Can they, do they read the newspaper critically and make informed judgements about what they read, and then do they do something worthwhile about it?  That is the real assessment of the success of our education system-a literate, active citizen.