Peer observation of teaching (PoT) is a recognized evaluation tool. However, faculty concerns persist regarding bias, beneficial feedback, and lack of peer observer training. While faculty desire to provide quality and equitable reviews, many higher education faculty peers have little expertise in conducting observations and evaluations. This…

High quality science teaching builds pupils' curiosity and critical thinking, helping them to develop a coherent understanding of the world around them. Primary science teaching plays a crucial role in shaping pupils' attitudes toward the subject, nurturing participation that can support future pathways into science, technology, engineering, and…

This report outlines the approaches that state education agencies (SEAs) have taken in defining and using formative assessment practices, including practices to explicitly support students with disabilities. At the state level, there have been efforts to develop or adopt formal definitions of formative assessment practices that guide how these…

Nebraska's educators know the state's long-term competitiveness depends on continually improving student learning and outcomes for our 300,000+ K-12 students. That's why what they teach in classrooms all over the state is tied closely to content area standards--standards developed by Nebraska educators, approved by the State Board, and reviewed…

Formative assessment can facilitate teachers' abilities to elicit and notice the disciplinary substance of students' thinking and to respond based on this. Following a design-based process, we developed principled practical knowledge to create resources that might guide experienced teachers in examining their formative assessment practice and…

This report contains information on the background of and research on the North Carolina Kindergarten Entry Assessments (NC KEA). Evidence shows that implementing formative assessment is difficult for teachers and schools. Given that North Carolina will be adopting a new KEA measure for the fall of 2020, this report summarizes previous research on…

Most institutional practices to evaluate teaching are inadequate, inaccurate, neither improve teaching directly, nor incentivize teaching improvement. This is often because effective teaching is difficult to assess and most tools do not adequately or accurately do so and are often without established standards. Because of this, faculty may be…

This article addresses the teaching and learning side of the learning progressions literature, calling out for measurement specialists the knowledge most needed when collaborating with subject-matter experts in the development of learning progressions. Learning progressions are one of the strongest instantiations of principles from "Knowing…

This article outlines an approach to bridging the gap between the theory and practice of differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction has long been suggested as a pedagogical approach to cater for student individuality and diversity, particularly in mixed-ability classrooms. Although the theory of differentiated instruction has been…

STEM teaching occurs within national and state policy contexts that are constantly shifting in terms of standards and accountability due to the current and intense focus on students' STEM outcomes. In the last two decades, federal legislation as well as common standards movements increasingly influence what and how STEM teachers instruct their…

This chapter illustrates the value of formative assessment as the key to better understand students who struggle with classroom learning. The authors present ways in which professional development, classroom assessment, and student services can come together with the common goal of building a community focused on the student learning experience…

Focused reflection is teacher directed professional learning that uses ongoing formative assessment aligned with research-based instructional practices and standards. It allows teachers to operate as researchers and hold themselves accountable for what they are teaching and what students are learning. This article provides a table that outlines…

This article describes a professional development project that sought to increase active engagement in higher education classrooms. Flipped pedagogy was the focus of the professional development, as research suggested that flipped instruction allows for increased active engagement in the classroom. The authors describe how they guided faculty in…

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is committed to supporting the use of technology to improve teaching and learning and to support innovation throughout educational systems. This report addresses the clear need for sharing knowledge and developing policies for "Artificial Intelligence," a rapidly advancing class of…

Throughout continuing education focusing on the adult learner, standardized and sometimes even effective measures of instructor performance have remained elusive. As Smith (2012) stated, "Teaching practice cannot be measured according to lists of competencies or techniques, it cannot be safeguarded by a collection of prescriptions for good…