As part of our ongoing series on new problems and ideas in teacher assessments, www.funderstanding.com has reached out to rank-and-file educators for their input. Through both direct sources and a far-reaching social media shout-out, we have spoken to dozens of educators – teachers, specialists and administrators – to gauge their concerns. Not surprisingly, the only obvious consensus is the starting point: a rigorous, fair and valid teacher evaluation system will ultimately result in better student outcomes. Beyond that, any theoretical common ground is laced with divisive practical landmines.

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Definition Portfolio assessment provides a body of student work–essentially, a portfolio–that can be used to appraise student performance over time. Discussion Portfolio assessment ranges from portfolios that demonstrates the student’s best work to an “expanded student record” that holds a full representation of the student’s work, from math equations to essays on literature. There has been some confusion in the field as to who the portfolio is being kept for. For example, in some cases, student portfolios serve as a replacement for the high school diploma or transcript. The disadvantage of portfolios is that they’re not as quick and easy [...]

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Definition Classroom Assessment Techniques consist of a variety of feedback and discussion methods that gauge the quality of the learning process. Basic Element Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs), also known as Classroom Research or Action Research, are a series of tools and practices designed to give teachers accurate information about the quality of student learning. Information gathered isn’t used for grading or teacher evaluation. Instead, it’s used to facilitate dialogue between students and teacher on the quality of the learning process, and how to improve it. As authors Patricia Cross and Thomas Angelo state in their book Classroom Assessment Techniques, “Teaching [...]

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Definition Simply testing an isolated skill or a retained fact does not effectively measure a student’s capabilities. To accurately evaluate what a person has learned, an assessment method must examine his or her collective abilities.This is what is meant by authentic assessment. Authentic assessment presents students with real-world challenges that require them to apply their relevant skills and knowledge. Basic Elements Authentic assessment accomplishes each of the following goals: Requires students to develop responses rather than select from predetermined options Elicits higher order thinking in addition to basic skills Directly evaluates holistic projects Synthesizes with classroom instruction Uses samples of [...]

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When a business creates a learning system, it also needs a measurement plan to assess its effectiveness. A company training department, which is accountable to upper management, must prove that its employees have grown proficient in the tasks they’ve learned. Assessment is the tool that enables trainers to evaluate and improve their educational programs. Our current educational system, both in the academic or professional world, often relies on inappropriate assessment methods–for instance, the multiple choice test. Multiple choice tests are relatively simple to create, administer, and grade. But these tests (and similar assessment tools that contain true/false and completion items) [...]

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