University/Organization

Department of Educational Sciences and Professional Programs
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Missouri

Title

Embedding High Quality Assessment Practices with Pre-K-12 Classroom Assessments

Synopsis:

Teachers (Pre-K-12) are rarely trained with any depth and prepared to develop high quality assessments or determine if the assessments they are using are of high quality (Stiggins, 2014). Therefore, investing time training and preparing Pre-K-12 teachers to conduct quality assessment of student learning is needed. Regulatory, accreditation, and funding agencies require Pre-K-12 education institutions to demonstrate that their students have mastered course/grade level content outcomes. Assessment practices that best allow students in Pre-K-12 education programs to know they have mastered course/grade level outcomes, in addition to instructional decisions that teachers should make in order for students to learn to what degree they have mastered
course/grade level outcomes are addressed. A case study with an international Pre-K-12 United States accredited, independent, non-profit school that offers a rigorous U.S. curriculum to evaluate teacher understanding in implementing high quality assessment practices school highlights the need for teacher professional learning to be implemented and monitored to improve student learning outcomes. Methods and techniques must be taught and used by teachers to support this enhanced vision of assessment. The case study highlights that teachers need opportunities to demonstrate, study, critique, and refine their assessment practices. Formative and summative assessment must both be valued and implemented to promote and implement a high-quality assessment system and have confident and independent learners.

View Paper