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Blogs on Assessment

Assessment

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Move past high-stakes testing and expand your understanding about the different types of effective assessment.

How to Make Planning for Next Year Fun

Elena AguilarJune 26, 2009

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Primary (K-2), Project-Based Learning, Teacher Development, All Grades

The end of the school year has finally arrived. You can start fantasizing about the novels you'll read, the closets you'll clean, the places you'll go. However, pulsing in the recesses of your mind is a whisper: You know you should plan next year.

What Parents Think About Student Achievement

Bob LenzJune 4, 2009

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Parental Involvement, Teacher Development, All Grades

When I talk about student achievement in the academic community, the first thing that usually comes to mind is test scores: How well does this school perform relative to others? Are students on track for college? How prepared are they for the SAT?

Surprisingly, the discussion shifts when I talk to parents.

An Environmental Educator Makes a Splash Challenging Students

Suzie BossApril 7, 2009

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Project-Based Learning, Teacher Development, All Grades, Massachusetts

Christopher Swain describes himself as an ordinary guy. Maybe. But how many of us ordinary folks would consider swimming 1,000 miles along the Atlantic coast to raise awareness about the planet's fragile health?

The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom

Ben JohnsonMarch 30, 2009

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Primary (K-2), Student Engagement, Teacher Development

Have you ever thought about how silly we teachers can be? When we get in front of students, we present ourselves to be the ones with all the answers, and then after we talk to the students, we start asking questions as if we don't know anything we just talked about. No wonder students get confused!

Test Prep Doesn't Have to Be Overwhelming

Heather Wolpert-GawronMarch 10, 2009

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Teacher Development, High (9-12)

Standardized tests are around the corner, bursting onto the scene with great academic hysterics.

Active Learning Is Key to Differentiated Instruction

Ben JohnsonJanuary 14, 2009

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Primary (K-2), Project-Based Learning, All Grades

When I was a new teacher, I remember looking at my roll sheet and seeing multiple letters after several students' names. I asked colleagues what the abbreviations stood for and soon learned that the common perspective was that they stood for more work and more trouble.

College Readiness, Part Two: Turning Thoughts into Action

Bob LenzDecember 11, 2008

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Project-Based Learning, High (9-12), California

This is the second part of a two-part blog entry. Read part one.

In his article cited in part one of this blog entry, Tony Wagner describes visiting some of most highly regarded suburban schools and "interviewing leaders in settings from Apple to Unilever to the U.S. Army and reviewing research on workplace skills." In response to his findings, he calls for students to master seven skills to be successful in the twenty-first century.

College Readiness, Part One: Redefining Rigor at Envision Schools

Bob LenzDecember 9, 2008

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Project-Based Learning, High (9-12), California

I have been thinking a lot about Envision Schools's impact recently and what we hope will be different because of our schools.

Improving the Training: Educators Evaluate the Program That Teaches Them STEM Skills

Dr. Katie KlingerAugust 15, 2008

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Teacher Development, All Grades, Hawaii

This is the third part of a three-part entry. Read part one.

As a professional-development incentive, teachers who participate in the eighty hours of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) institutes aligned to the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards will receive a letter of completion. To receive the letter, teachers will have to submit for review an e-portfolio with their STEM projects.

Authentic Assessment: New Ways to Measure Student Performance

Anthony CodyJuly 30, 2008

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, All Grades

From an Edutopia reader comes this question: "With so many of today's schools focused on state achievement tests, many teachers are 'teaching to the test.' However, this does not adequately prepare students for life outside of school. Does anyone have any suggestions for the alternate assessment that this article was describing? I am looking for some way to increase student learning while maintaining state standards at the same time."