While states are increasingly adopting and implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as goalposts for student learning, there is less clear consensus around the science instruction needed in classrooms to realize this vision. In this study, I investigate the visions of expertise in science instruction that three science teacher…

How physical education teachers approach standards-based assessment of the new National Physical Education Standards is yet to be determined. But the use of technology for assessments may be one way to support and empower students in the education process toward physical literacy. This article focuses on the ways in which educators have adopted a…

Approaching assessment from an end-to-end perspective helps with appropriate assessment selection, design, and practice. Thinking in terms of end-to-end reminds teachers to keep in sight the aspirations (or ends) associated with any assessment activity. It also helps teachers to consider how to integrate assessment activities and capabilities into…

Nontraditional grading methods have recently become more common, and as with any large pedagogical shift, there are a number of questions to consider when applying a new grading scheme to a course. This article summarizes four types of nontraditional grading and shares experiences from the authors who have applied them to a variety of courses in…

Validity of performance standards is a key element for the defensibility of standard setting results, and validating performance standards requires collecting multiple pieces of evidence at every step during the standard setting process. This study employs a statistical procedure, latent class analysis, to set performance standards and compares…

In England, some secondary-level qualifications comprise non-exam assessments which need to undergo moderation before grading. Currently, moderation is conducted at centre (school) level. This raises challenges for maintaining the standard across centres. Recent technological advances enable novel moderation methods that are no longer bound by…

This analysis explores the essential criteria necessary to define standards-based grading (SBG) and to judge its effectiveness. Findings reveal that although many schools today are initiating SBG reforms, there's little consensus on what "standards-based grading" actually means. As a result, SBG implementation is widely inconsistent due…

Though one of the first disciplines to incorporate national standards in its curricula, the field of music education has not traditionally shown much consistency in its assessments, with disparities in priorities on both local and national levels. Schools often allow teachers the freedom to cover whichever content standards they choose, whether…

Transform your school's grading practices with this updated second edition on evidence-based grading. The book provides a five-phase process for moving beyond standards-based and competency-based grading models. Administrators and teachers will gain understanding of the core principles of evidence-based assessment, refocus assessments on…

In the Bookmark standard-setting procedure, panelists are instructed to consider what examinees know rather than what they might attain by guessing; however, because examinees sometimes do guess, the procedure includes a correction for guessing. Like other corrections for guessing, the Bookmark's correction assumes that examinees either know the…

The purpose of this study was to measure parental understanding of standards-based grading and reporting practices, provide resources to address any identified knowledge gaps and support parents in utilizing the new grading system to foster student success. Study participants consisted of fourth and fifth-grade parents from Cedar Lane Elementary…

Teaching traditional art forms in schools and the community has proven an effective way of ensuring the transmission of traditional culture. But due to the lack of valid and normative assessment guidance, the assessments of Cantonese operatic singing are still developing, impairing the instructiveness in its teaching and learning and restraining…

The New Zealand Government has announced a change package in response to a recent review of the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA). In this article, Charles Darr, a chief researcher at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, outlines several elements of standards-based assessment that can usefully inform NCEA's…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a program evaluation case study on the impact of standards-based grading in a North Carolina school district. The implementation procedures and end products of grading reform were assessed using the CIPP model. Data from teacher questionnaires, principal implementation checklists, interviews, and…

Research consistently shows that solid assessment designs lead to better student learning outcomes. The development of well-designed assessments presents a challenge to preservice teachers in their attempts to master the process and to the teacher educators who instruct them. This exploratory study examined strategies for teaching assessment…