CT-7400: Assessment Practices

Afflerbach, P. (2018). Understanding and using reading assessment, K-12 (3rd ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum.
Read Chapter 5: High Stakes Reading Tests (pp. 133-163). The author provides an excellent history of high-stakes testing and its evolution over the last 60 years in the U.S. The author also revies the positives and negatives of high-stakes testing, including unintended consequences.

Brookhart, S. M. (2016). How to make decisions with different kinds of student assessment data. ASCD.
Read Chapter 2: Large-Scale Accountability Assessments (pp. 18-45). The author reviews several widely used accountability tests and their uses. This chapter contains a detailed description of how test makers create standardized tests.

Bland, L. M., & Gareis, C. R. (2018). Performance assessments: A review of definitions, quality, characteristics, and outcomes associated with their use in K-12 schools. Teachers Educators’ Journal, 11, 52-69.
The authors review the current research about performance assessments and how schools and teaches can integrate these authentic, real-world assessments into statewide accountability practices as an alternative or supplement to standardized testing.

White, K. (2017). Softening the edges: Assessment practices that honor K-12 teachers and learners. Solution Tree Press.
Read Chapter 6: Summative Assessment (pp. 137-168) and Chapter 7: Systems Reporting (pp. 169-194). In these chapters, the author discusses various ways to create summative assessments for a student and how teachers and schools can organize their reporting system, including grades, to address them.