December 1998 Kit Geared for School-Based Study
These days many educators are considering new assessment approaches. In fact, assessment is such a popular topic that NWREL cannot keep up with the demand for its assessment-related workshops. Now, Assessing Student Performance, one in a series of Professional Inquiry Kits published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, can help educators join with colleagues to tackle this issue on their own.
Judith Arter, director of NWREL's assessment unit in the Assessment and Accountability Program, developed the inquiry kit, which is aimed at school-based study groups of no more than six people. Advantages of study groups are that they are held onsite, are scheduled by agreement of the participants, and provide a context for participants to examine and change their own teaching practices over time.
"This is meant to fill a gap in the professional development picture," says Arter of the kit. "Workshops have their place—they introduce new ideas—but for new ideas to really make a difference teachers need to experiment with them, think about them, and discuss them with their colleagues."
The concise, attractively packaged kit is divided into eight folders:
- Learning through Study Groups
- What is Performance Assessment?
- Why are People Interested in Performance Assessment?
- Performance Criteria
- Developing Quality Performance Criteria
- Student Portfolios
- Perspectives on Performance Assessment
- Extending Your Learning
A study group may use some or all of the folders in the kit. The folders contain thought-provoking, step-by-step activities built around materials such as video clips of students and teachers, scoring guides, sample criteria, articles, and samples of student work. The last folder lists additional resources and suggestions for continued inquiry on assessment and related topics.
The inquiry kit costs $159 for members of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and $191 for nonmembers. It can be ordered from ASCD, 1250 North Pitt Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-9718.
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