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Here is a suggestion for the use of this article with colleagues. You will need a list of the 10 understandings and copies of the article written by Carol Ann Tomlinson.
Informative assessment:
1. isn't just about tests.
2. really isn't about the gradebook.
3. isn't always formal.
4. isn't separate from the curriculum.
5. isn't about "after."
6. isn't and end in itself.
7. isn't separate from instruction.
8. isn't just about student readiness.
9. isn't just about finding weaknesses.
10. isn't just for the teacher.

Teachers can use information from assessments required under NCLB to inform classroom decisions and provide the best possible instruction for students. [Pamphlet on Standardized and Dynamic Assessment from NCLB].

Many school districts have begun to administer periodic assessments to complement end-of-the-year state testing. Assessments are used to guide instruction, monitor student learning, evaluate teachers and predict scores on future state tests.

From judging performance to guiding students to shaping instruction to informing learning, coming to grips with informative assessment is one insightful journey.

Firm evidence shows that formative assessment is an essential component of classroom work and that its development can raise standards of achievement, Mr. Black and Mr. Wiliam point out. Indeed, they know of no other way of raising standards for which suc

Coaching moves beyond the gym. Assessment without victims: An interview with Rick Stiggins. [Journal of Staff Development]

Free Tech Literacy Assessment tool for students in grades K-12, specifically geared toward middle schoolers. who are required to be technology literate by 8th grade.

Worthy assessments should reflect the broader capabilities that students need to thrive in the 21st century.

Assessment validity refers to the accuracy of a score-based inference about a test taker's status. This definition sounds pretty highbrow, but it really isn't. Educators are interested in getting a fix on students' knowledge and skills so they can make sensible instructional decisions about those students. But teachers can't tell how much a particular student knows merely by looking at the student. That's because students' cognitive skills and knowledge are covert. Accordingly, we test students so we can use their overt responses to the test to make an inference about what's covert. Tests aren't valid or invalid; inferences are.

This site is for district STAR coordinators. The site was developed and is maintained by Educational Testing Service (ETS) under contract with the California Department of Education (CDE). The CDE has contracted with ETS for the development, administration, scoring, and reporting of the California Standards Tests, the California Modified Assessment, the California Alternate Performance Assessment, and the Standards-based Tests in Spanish.

A Comparative Analysis of Superintendent, Principal, and Teachers' Perceptions of Accountability Systems. The purpose of this technical report is to develop a better understanding of the assessment and accountability practices and policies that educators are implementing in the classrooms, schools, and districts and to examine whether those policies are associated with perceived school and student improvements in achievement.\n\nThe study provides descriptive information about the need for schools and districts to effectively use data, how schools and districts use data to guide classroom practice, and the difference in data use based on the level of student proficiency in individual schools.

A tool and means to the development of human capital and capacity building in education. - Free Online Library

Looking closely together at student work can unveil a treasure trove of insights to guide school communities as they reflect on their purpose, assess their progress, and plan strategies for reaching all children better. It's scary work, though, and respectful protocols can help.

"Data-based decisions"-the phrase has become a buzzword in education over the last few years. However, it does make sense that using information to help clarify issues, identify alternative solutions to problems, and target resources more effectively will lead to better decisions. The real question should not be whether to integrate the use of data in decision making, but how.Finding good data and using it effectively is actually a complex process-one that many schools and districts are just beginning to address. One specific type of data-based decision making that shows promise for helping schools dramatically increase student achievement is the use of assessment data to drive instructional improvement

Making data part of instructional planning can be challenging, especially if teachers are not used to thinking about assessment and data as a regular part of the process. This article offers helpful tips.

Link student assessments with instruction. A one-stop web-based location to review data management systems based on approved criteria.

One of the current buzzwords in use in the state of California and across the nation is multiple measures. But what does this phrase really mean for students, teachers, schools, and districts? Quite simply by multiple measures we mean the use of a variety of assessment formats that allow educators to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their students so that the curriculum can be adjusted to meet the needs of those students.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to developing common assessments.

Arrowhead High School's advice on developing common assessments, based on their experience in this area.

Like never before, today's classroom teachers routinely are being asked to collaboratively analyze student data, develop or implement new mandated curricula, and assess the effectiveness of these innovations. Ironically, few preservice preparatory or in-service professional development programs actively train classroom instructors in the use of team-based inquiry or collaborative data- driven problem solving. Framed within the context of the literature and governmental efforts to achieve school reform, this article describes one such in-service program, in practice at public and charter schools in high-need communities in New York City. The Inquiry Based School Improvement Program (IBSIP) was created and designed to help schools serving high-need communities in New York City engage in the types of team-based inquiry and data-driven problem solving needed to meet the everchanging institutional demands on these schools to improve.