Today's Middle Level Educator

9/2/2012
Middle School Matters #217: Dr. Doubet, Formative Assessment (17:18)
AMLE and hosts Shawn McGirr and Troy Patterson of Middle School Matters speak with Dr. Kristina Doubet, associate professor of middle and secondary education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Dr. Doubet shares how formative assessment is a critical first step in differentiating instruction, itemizes misconceptions about the concept, and includes tips on effectively using formative assessment in the classroom. With more than 10 years of experience teaching middle and secondary English, Dr. Doubet prepares future middle and high school teachers for careers in the classroom. She completed her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction at the University of Virginia where she studied the impact of differentiated instruction on student performance in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. Dr. Doubet works regularly with practicing teachers from all grade levels and content areas as a staff developer for schools and districts implementing initiatives in the areas of Common Core State Standards, formative assessment, and differentiated instruction. Contact info: doubetkj@jmu.edu

Resources:

• Smart in the Middle Grades: Classrooms that Work for Bright Middle Schoolers by Kristina Doubet and Carol Ann Tomlinson
• Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom
• Collections of Assessment and Differentiated Instruction books
• Full MSM #217 podcast

9/21/2009
The Culture of Formative Assessment (21:38)
In this second part of a two-part discussion about formative assessment, Kate Garrison, Manager of Products and services for Professional Development with Measured Progress, discusses the culture of formative assessment.

Resources:

• Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom
  by Catherine Garrison & Michael Ehringhaus
• Effective Classroom Assessment: Linking Assessment with Instruction
  by Catherine Garrison, Dennis Chandler, & Michael Ehringhaus
• Using Formative Assessments to Individualize Instruction and Promote Learning
  by Juliann M. Kaftan, Gayle A. Buck, & Alysa Haack

6/4/2009
Formative Assessment: Debunking the Myths (21:13)
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 products and services for professional development with Measured Progress, debunks 5 myths about formative assessment in the first of this 2-part discussion.

Resources:

• Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom
  by Catherine Garrison & Michael Ehringhaus
• Effective Classroom Assessment: Linking Assessment with Instruction
  by Catherine Garrison, Dennis Chandler, & Michael Ehringhaus
• Using Formative Assessments to Individualize Instruction and Promote Learning
  by Juliann M. Kaftan, Gayle A. Buck, & Alysa Haack