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Posted by: Topic: Message: The question posed here isn't a question to be answered by the teacher alone; it's a system question. It's unrealistic to think that any meaningful restructuring of the school's assessment plan can be done without input from the principal and other teachers in the department or across the grade level.
But, for the teacher who's aiming at balanced assessment, my answer is another question: In your opinion, where are your students mathematically? And where do you think they need to go?
The first part of the question is authentic assessment -- a real question with an answer that the teacher can use to direct teaching. As teachers know, answering it authentically requires information from multiple sources, not only the mandated, standardized, multiple-choice test. Informal assessment, such as a written explanation of a concept or a purposeful group activity, offers unique evidence of students' mathematical literacy and adds to the evidence of formal testing.
The second part of the question asks the teacher to reflect on the guidelines set out by district or state standards, which hopefully incorporate the vision of the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Ideas on how to assess students' understanding, in both formal and informal ways, and then apply the knowledge to enhance teaching can be found at the NCTM web site (http://www.nctm.org/standards/) and at the Illuminations site (http://illuminations.nctm.org/index2.html).
Sound assessment, whether formal or informal, promotes opportunities to advance in mathematics, rather than to set up barriers to further study. It judges progress toward a goal, rather than labeling a student because of his/her current place along what is, for all of us, a continuum. Finally, it recognizes achievement, honors it, and identifies areas for growth. To reply, please first log into The Knowledge Loom |
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