Sparking a flame of mutual professional development at Twin Groves Middle School, in Illinois' Kildeer District 96 was a formative assessment. "Formatives," as the practitioners call them, are a technique usually adopted as a safety net for struggling students. But as districts are finding out, they are also effective at honing teacher…

When teachers work toward the goal of using evidence of student learning to improve teaching, they typically use test scores, student work, portfolios, and a variety of formative assessments. Videotapes of teaching are another valuable form of evidence. Research has shown that analysis of videotaped teaching cases is effective in promoting teacher…

Teacher collaboration is a powerful form of professional learning. One focus for collaborative efforts is designing assessments. When teachers design assessments, give each other feedback through peer reviews, evaluate student work, and plan together for improvement, they are engaged in highly effective professional development. Assessments have…