This document outlines Vince Tarsi's philosophy of assessment which includes evaluating the needs of students, teachers, and schools to support student growth and learning. Assessment should identify strengths and weaknesses, modify teaching, and direct school improvement plans while focusing on individual student progress monitoring. Assessment is meant to be more than just numbers and should promote higher-level thinking, reliability, validity and accountability in a transparent manner without unrealistic expectations.

1. Vince Tarsi
Ed Psych 510 – Fall Semester, 2014
Washington State University
PHILOSOPHY OF ASSESSMENT

2. I BELIEVE
Every student is important and different

3. PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT
 Evaluate the needs of students, teachers,
and the school
 Support and enhance student growth and
learning
 Identify teacher and curricular strengths and
weaknesses
 Modify teaching methodologies

4. MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS
 Proactive – Stay on top of it (Don’t wait for the
state)
 Dig deeper – Go as deep as we can go
 Directs the path of the SIP
 Identify trends
 On-going communication with students,
teachers, parents, and community
 Individual student progress monitoring
 RTI – Assess the data along the way
Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything
that can be counted counts – Albert Einstein

5. NON-NEGOTIABLE
 Commitment to helping every student succeed
 Collaboration
 One size DOES NOT fit all – Utilize a variety of
methods
 Focus development on the whole child
(academics, arts, physical fitness, social skills)
 Provide purposeful feedback
The most we can ask of any person – and the least we ought to ask – is that they
be accountable for being and becoming their best – Tomlinson & Eidson

6. EVALUATIONS, COMMON CORE, & GROWTH
 Linked to CCSS in a meaningful way
 Promotes higher level thinking
 Identify the reliability and validity of teaching
practices and assessments
 Guidance to help create and interpret
assessments
 Goal setting
 Accountability

7. NO “BELLS AND WHISTLES”
 Transparency
 Realistic – Assessment is not the cure-all for
every student
 Open and honest communication
 Organization
 Life-long student
Walk the talk