Take a minute and study the following image from an online course. Let’s start with a “notice and wonder” thinking routine. What do you notice (just the facts, please!)? What does this image (or...

One of the most frustrating parts of teaching for me has been assessments. There have been so many times when I've felt success in learning with my students throughout a unit only to realize they haven't learned what...

In its keys for educating young adolescents, AMLE calls for educators to use a variety of assessments in an effort to both advance and measure student learning. Daily, teachers are using assessment to guide...

The silver bullet for closing the achievement gap these days seems to be formative assessment. In simple terms, formative assessment is any ongoing activity that helps teachers gain information about student...

What's the best way to assess students' learning? During the past several years, we have developed a process that help us ensure we are using valid, effective, and rigorous assessments with our students—a...

Like most terms in education, assessment brings to mind a wide range of conceptions and emotions. Today the trend toward using summative testing for accountability points out the disparate understandings of...

In the race to complete reports that prove the immediate value-added measures of our teaching, we've lost sight of one of the most powerful teaching tools we have: patience. Teacher patience is the heart of students'...

Printable article Successful middle schools engage students in all aspects of their learning. There are many strategies for accomplishing this. One such strategy is student-led conferences. As a classroom teacher...

Formative assessment is a verb, not a noun. A process whereby students and teachers maintain ongoing conversation about learning, formative assessment is key to student achievement. Kate Garrison, manager of...

One of the hallmarks of middle level education is the process of understanding students and responding to their needs. In recent years, researchers have stressed the role of assessment in this process. As expectations...