Self-directed learning, despite its growing popularity in education, has challenged conventional assessment practice which often foregrounds the presentation of identical conditions to ensure reliability. This article discusses the results of a case study of university academic English teachers' perceptions and reported practices of assessing…

Assessment plays crucial roles in educational process, and assessment results are seen as one of the best predictors of success or failure of the teaching-learning process. However, teachers' or teacher candidates' conceptions of conducting assessment have been mostly overlooked so far. To this end, the present study seeks to reveal the…

This study used a focus group interview to examine teacher perceptions of classroom assessment. The interview took place in a school where the researcher had visited and observed classes taught by the majority of the teachers interviewed for the study. The majority of the interviewees seemed to embrace the notion of assessment for learning.…

The current age of standardization and accountability in education presents a need for educators to be proficient consumers and producers of data. To understand what mathematics teachers see as the purpose of data and assessment, as well as their perceived needs in these areas, we administered a survey to all mathematics teachers in two school…

The National Urban League president and CEO Marc H. Morial weighs in on what he sees as the need for continued annual assessments of students, rejecting the course of opting out that has taken hold in some places across America. Assessment data provides students with the opportunity to receive personalized supports and necessary interventions to…

Traditionally, models of instructional leadership espouse data-informed decision making in response to student assessment outcomes as one of the core school leader behaviors. In recent years, rising expectations from accountability policies and related assessment practices have myriad implications for school districts, specifically in the areas of…

Assessment can be defined as any method through which one gathers data or information about something. Assessing may incorporate measurement and testing, but it also includes evaluation and appreciation of creative products, processes, and performances. It encompasses finding out much more information than test results alone can give. Creative…

In this paper we examine theoretical perspectives on assessment in cooperative education placements. As assessment is linked to student learning, we focus briefly on the purposes of assessment. We then consider a range of learning theories that have been, and are more recently, explored as ways to explain the process of learning on cooperative…

Educators need to become more assessment literate. When they do, they will be able to use assessments better to guide their teaching and communicate their expectations and results with students and the broader education stakeholders and audiences.

Assessment is an integral part of the learning process. The traditional practice of assessment has changed to meet the need of the contemporary society. In this paper assessment strategies used in Open and Distance Education are discussed and constructive suggestions are given to meet the challenges of assessment. Recently we experience a paradigm…

In order to teach science well, science teachers need to know what to focus on in order to ensure their assessment of student learning is meaningful and useful for the students' on going learning and development. The diversity and range of content and skills within the subject of science mean that the assessment capabilities required by…

Assessment has long been a contentious issue in work-integrated learning (WIL) and cooperative education. Despite assessment being central to the integrity and accountability of a university and long-standing theories around best practice in assessment, enacting quality assessment practices has proven to be more difficult. Authors in this special…

The increase in numbers of children and families who are culturally and linguistically diverse served in early intervention and early childhood special education requires greater awareness and use of family-centered and culturally responsive practices. The purpose of this study was to identify the training needs, challenges, and level of…

Recent legislative and local school accountability efforts have placed a premium on the collection, analysis, and use of student assessment data for educational improvement. As a result, schools have sought assessments that will provide additional information about student performance. In response, a burgeoning boon industry formed--formative…

There is perhaps no subject more contentious in schools than assessment and yet, often, at classroom, school and national level, inferences and decisions are made without much reference to research in this area. In fact, teachers often accept or interpret assessment requirements without question, feeling that assessment has to be approached in a…