THE PRACTICE: Assessment Each learning activity should be accompanied with well-defined indicators of success.
Content Presented By:
NEIRTEC, Northeast & Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium

Resources related to this practice:

• "Did anybody learn anything?" Assessing Technology Programs and the Learning Accomplished, From Now On
  http://www.fno.org/dec95/intro.html

  Article by Jamie McKenzie published in his monthly online education journal, From Now On, where he discusses "How do new information technologies enhance student learning? Time has come to measure results."

• Accountability Design
  http://www.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/designing_school_acct_syst.pdf

  This document presents three different views of accountability design to address states' needs. One view presents an elaborated framework, with questions, criteria, and comments, intended to provide a structure for helping states move through the process of designing a school accountability system. The second view presents a concise checklist of characteristics to help states evaluate the consistency and coherence of existing programs. The third view provides examples of actual state experience with design features that might be considered and why. Available as pdf file online or in hard copy for $10.00.

• Arlene Brown & Chris Rose's 4th Grade Unit on Living Things
  http://knowledgeloom.org/gmott/resources/brown_dti.pdf

  This unit plan, created by Arlene Brown and Chris Rose, integrates educational technology into a fourth grade study of living things. Before collaborating with Rose on the unit, Brown participated in a Designing for Technology Integration (DTI) workshop sponsored by The Northeast and Islands Regional Technology Consortium (NEIRTEC).

• Assessment: At a Glance
  http://glef.org/FMPro?-db=learnlivekeywords1.fp5&-lay=layout
  %20%231&-Format=keyword.html&-max=200&jargonfree==Assessment&-sortfield=show%20order&-SortOrder=ascend&-sortfield=short%20title&-find

  Standardized tests aren't the only way of gauging student achievement. Throughout the country, educators are using performance assessments to measure what students know and can do. This article on the George Lucas Foundation site offers text, video, an interview with assessment guru Grant Wiggins, and a research summary, plus links to other related assessment articles and information.

• Does It Compute? The Relationship Between Educational Technology and Student Achievement in Mathematics
  http://searcheric.org/scripts/seget2.asp?want=http://searche
  ric.org/ericdc/ED425191.htm

  This report presents new evidence on the effectiveness of educational technology. Analyzing data from the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress, it finds that the effectiveness of school computers depends upon how they are used; some uses are associated with improved student academic performance and school climate, while other uses are not.

• Does it Compute? The Relationship Between Educational Technology and Student Achievement in Mathematics
  http://searcheric.org/scripts/seget2.asp?want=http://searche
  ric.org/ericdc/ED425191.htm

  This report, by Harold Wenglinsky of Educational Testing Service, presents new evidence on the effectiveness of educational technology. Analyzing data from the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress, it finds that the effectiveness of school computers depends upon how they are used; some uses are associated with improved student academic performance and school climate, while other uses are not.

• Edtechnot.com
  http://www.edtechnot.com/

  This site might be called a meeting of ed tech leaders throughout the world. Its purpose is to bring those who are guiding technology use in schools together to discuss divergent opinions. The site includes information on plans, web logs, books, and ideas related to educational technology.

• Evaluating Online Educational Materials for Use in Instruction
  http://www.kidsource.com/education/webpub.html

  Information to assist teachers in the selection of valuable and safe online resources to use in their instruction is provided in this ERIC document published on KidSource Online. Included is a checklist that can be used to evaluate online educational materials.

• Fair Assessment Practices: Giving Students Equitable Opportunities toDemonstrate Learning
  http://www.sabes.org/resources/adventures/vol14/14suskie.htm

  "Equitable assessment means that students are assessed using methods and procedures most appropriate to them." This article by Linda Suskie includes components of fair assessment and numerous assessment resources.

• ISTE Technology Foundation Standards for Students
  http://cnets.iste.org/students/

  To live, learn, and work successfully in an increasingly complex and information-rich society, students must be able to use technology effectively. These ISTE standards provide guidelines for technology use in schools. The information provided includes links to performance indicators, curriculum examples, and scenarios.

• Making Technology Happen
  http://www.southern.org/pubs/MTH/makingtech.shtml

  Making Technology Happen: Best Practices and Policies from Exemplary K-12 Schools, published by The Southern Growth Policy Board, addresses findings on best practices in the implementation of technology in schools. This online version of the book reviews how more than 200 exemplary schools are bringing technology into their classrooms. Areas of discussion include planning, training, providing technical support, re-engineering organizations, obtaining resources and evaluating how district, state and federal policies impact the process.

• PBL+MM Guide Activities with Strong Assessment Components
  http://pblmm.k12.ca.us/PBLGuide/Activities/AssessActivites.html

  Nearly all of the PBL + MM Curriculum Guide activities include an assessment component. The following activities in particular present good opportunities for multiple, varied assessments. These activities emphasize the importance of continuous documentation for the purposes of on-going discussion, revision, and assessment. The activities vary in terms of what is assessed (plan, product, process, structure, content) and who is doing the assessing (teacher, peer, self).

• Recent Research on the Effects of Technology on Teaching and Learning
  http://www.wested.org/techpolicy/research.html

  What does research and experience tell us about the benefits and the most appropriate uses of technology and telecommunications to support and expand teaching and learning? This report provides a national perspective, provides research findings, including student and educator outcomes, conditions for technology to be effective, features of effective learning technologies, and state and federal program support factors. Although not a recent report, it contains information that will be valuable for educators.

• Scoring Rubrics
  http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/projects/yep/endo
  yrub/yeprub.html

  Samples of rubrics that support multiple assessment measures.

• TAGLIT (Taking a Good Look at Instructional Technology)
  http://www.taglit.org

  School technology assessment tool for principals, teachers, and students in schools participating in the Leadership Development programs funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Originally developed as part of a training program offered by the Principals' Executive Program, part of the Center for School Leadership Development, University of North Carolina. Log in as a guest to see the actual assessments and reports.

• The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement: What the Most Current Research Has to Say
  http://www.mff.org/publications/publications.taf?page=161

  This briefingby John Schacter, Ph.D, outlines what current research has discovered regarding the impact of educational technology on learning, and identifies resources for further study. While most of this research is in its infancy, we are beginning to see solid work emerge. This 11-page document released in June of 1999 looks at some of the large-scale state and national studies, as well as some innovative smaller studies that provide visions for new and effective uses of technology in learning and instruction.

• The Research Gap, From Now On, Vol. 10, No. 2, October, 2000
  http://www.fno.org/oct00/rg.html

  Article by Jamie McKenzie published in his monthly online education journal, From Now On, where he provokes thinking about how to assess the impact of technology.

• Unwarranted Intrusion
  http://www.educationnext.org/20021/30.html

  This article by Harvard professor Richard Elmore states that the federal government is now accelerating the worst trend of the current accountability movement by making performance-based accountability mean testing, and testing alone. Elmore charges that "there is no genuine opposition in Washington to accountability rules that simply fail to understand the institutional realities of accountability in states, districts, and schools."

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