The word "test" comes to mind when a person, who is unacquainted with education discourses, reads about assessment issues. Beyond issues of reliability and validity in designing measurement constructs, assessment for school geography must result in better geographical learning. In other words, there must be "consequential…

This paper presents an innovative project-based learning activity meant to support language beginner students to develop, via their core curriculum, five enterprise capabilities ("authentic problem-solving;" "innovation and creativity;" "risk-taking;" "taking action;" and "true collaboration"),…

A number of states are using or exploring the use of formative assessment in their districts and schools to improve learning outcomes for students. Findings from the literature suggest that formative assessment: (1) Is a systematic, continuous process used during instruction that provides a feedback loop to check for progress and detect learning…

In this webinar, Dr. Sarah Catherine K. Moore, Program Director at the Center for Applied Linguistics, outlined factors for content area teachers to consider as they design and deliver lessons for mainstream classrooms that include English learner (EL) students. This Q&A addressed the questions participants had for Dr. Moore following the…

Teachers today are called on to have an ever expanding knowledge base and skills that support working within a multi-tiered system of supports, including Response to Intervention (MTSS/RtI). Yet, most teachers do not possess these skills. Current field-based professional development initiatives focus on the existing teacher corps. However, Pk-12…

This study explores the effectiveness of an intervention involving formative assessment in a first-year core business subject. Students were invited to receive feedback on a draft of their first written assessment during the early weeks of the semester. Consideration is given to the economic and ethical issues raised by the intervention. A…

This study examines the problem of inconsistent achievement in social studies on the Delaware State Testing Program (DSTP) at a high school in Delaware. Since 2002, the district began an initiative to create common assessments for all core content areas that were meant to align with the state standards. In social studies, that initiative was the…

The purpose of the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) is to help learning organizations continually improve the quality, scale, and breadth of online programs according to their own distinctive missions, so that education will become a part of everyday life, accessible and affordable for anyone, anywhere, at any time, in a wide variety of disciplines.…

Students' science achievement has been subject to scrutiny and criticism in the United States. The decline in rankings on standardized international assessments has been the focus of concern for educators, policy makers, parents and society at large. This study, designed as an action research, explored the factors contributing to the decrease in…

The recent special report, "Indiana's Vision of Response to Intervention" issued by the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (CEEP) was the first of a three-part series aimed to build a fundamental understanding of a Response-to-Intervention (RTI) framework in Indiana's schools to aid in the prevention and intervention of both…

In 2007, Georgia developed a comprehensive framework to define what students need to know. One component of this framework emphasizes the use of both formative and summative assessments as part of an integral and specific component of the teachers. performance evaluation. Georgia administers the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) to every…

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high-quality instructional and formative assessment tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Core Common State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Literacy experts have developed a framework and a set of templates that teachers can use…

Leadership Networks are regional and content-specific networks focused on the preparation of college- and career-ready students. Each network includes teacher leaders, school administrators, central office staff, regional cooperatives, and institutes of higher education. Network members work collaboratively to focus their efforts on regional needs…

In recent years, interim assessments have become an increasingly popular tool in districts seeking to improve student learning and achievement. Philadelphia has been at the forefront of this change, implementing a set of Benchmark assessments aligned with its Core Curriculum district-wide in 2004. In this article, we examine the overall context…

As a practicing school psychologist and administrator at Brown International Academy, an inner city elementary school in Denver Public Schools, the author believes that if the RTI model is put into practice, it will greatly impact educational outcomes for all students. Putting RTI into practice is not easy. It requires individuals to think…