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

What is it?

Standards-based teaching and learning has been embraced in the U.S., and well-defined national, state, and local standards are emerging. However, "covering" the standard does not imply reaching the standard. A well-conceived assessment component must be included in all curriculum activities. Just as educators prepare lessons to accommodate diverse learning styles and intelligences, there is an equal and related need to develop multiple measures of assessment to truly determine what students know. It is important to remember that although there is currently a focus on standardized testing as the ultimate measure of attaining high standards, standardized tests are only one form of assessment.

Students should be aware from the beginning of any lesson or activity what they are expected to know and how they will be asked to demonstrate their learning. In many cases, students can be involved in helping to develop the rubrics and assessment indicators by which they will be judged.

In addition to content standards, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has developed technology standards for students. These standards have been driven by the belief that to live, learn, and work successfully in an increasingly complex and information-rich society, students must be able to use technology effectively. The ISTE web site provides these standards as a guideline, and it includes links to performance indicators, curriculum examples, and scenarios.

Parallel to student technology standards, The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the official body for accrediting teacher preparation programs, and the International Society for Technology in Education have recommended guidelines for educational computing and technology in accredited teacher preparation programs.

Questions to Think About

Before this practice can be effectively embraced, there are important issues that should be considered by those who will be affected by the practice. Use the questions below for discussion during professional development activities and for meetings of your key stakeholder communities.

--What performance assessments are currently used within your organization? How are these graded? How are they weighted against standardized tests?

--How can the use of performance assessments build student self esteem? What is the connection between student learning preferences and assessment practices?

--How can students be involved in the process of creating assessment rubrics and performance indicators?

--Parents are often confused by non-traditional performance reporting. How can parents effectively and realistically be brought into the process of understanding and supporting multiple assessment measures?

--Is an assessment mechanism to evaluate effective teacher use of technology built into your school?s professional review process? Should it be? Why or why not?

This resource is developed and maintained by The Education Alliance at Brown University. Seed funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Send comments to: loom@alliance.brown.edu