The document discusses the assessment methods used at East Side Community High School in New York, which focuses on authentic assessments such as presentations and projects instead of standardized tests. This approach, part of the New York Performance Standards Consortium, has led to higher graduation and college enrollment rates for students, even those from low-achieving backgrounds. The document emphasizes the effectiveness of project-based learning in preparing students for college and real-life applications of their knowledge.

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East Side Community High School in New York.
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TiffanyMungin, a graduatingstudentfrom EastSide Community High School, presents a long-term research projectabout U.S. soldiers duringtfie
Vietnam War to David Vazquez, principal at the Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists, left, and Ben Wides, a 1 2th grade history teacher at
ASSESSMENTEditor's Note: As efforts to redefine assessment
gain steam, educators are trying new approaches
to monitoring student progress. ln this Spotlight,
explore how teachers are auditing their
classroom assessments, using formative
assessment tools, and engaging students through
self-assessment.
EOINTENTS
2 NYC. High School
Strives for Authentic'
Assessment
4 English Teachers' Group
Seeks to 'Reclaim
Assessment'
eO&nMEINTP{RY
5 To lmprove Assessment,
lnvest in the Classroom
5 The Role of Per{ormance
Assessments in
Fosterin g Opportunities
for Deeper Learning
7 Students Self-Assess
For Mastery
3 Reflective Activities
to Align Assessment
Five Formative
Assessment Tools
Recommended by
Teacher Experts

2. NY.C. High School Strives
for Authentic' Assessment
By Calhcrpe lewertz
NewYork City
iffany Mungin spent many nervous
weeks researching and writing her
paper about the Vietnam War. Her
high school graduation was on the
Unlike most New York state seniors, who
vied for their diplomas by taking the state's
standardized tests, Ms. Mungin had to write
a history research paper and an analytic
essay in EnglisManguage arts. She also had
to conduct an original science experiment
and undertake an applied-mathematics
project in order to graduate. The l8-year-
old's work would have to be evaluated by at
least two teachers, and she would have to
defend it in formal presentations to panels
of educators.
This is the way mastery is assessed at Tif-
fany's school, East Side Community High
School in Manhattan. It's one of 48 schools
in the New York Performance Standards
Consortium, which have permission to
use projects for graduation instead ofthe
state-mandated standardized tests known
as the Regents. As national debate intensi-
fies about testing, East Side High offers a
glimpse into an altemative way of sizing up
student learning.
There's reason to pay attention to that al-
ternative, too. Research on the consortium
schools shows that while they serve larger
proportions of low-achieving students than
New York City schools in general, they pro-
duce higher graduation and college-enroll-
ment rates. These students show staying
power in college, too: Tracking data on con-
sortium students shows that three-quarters
enroll for a second year, a little higher than
the national persistence rate.
At East Side, 82 percent ofstudents gradu-
ate high school within four years, while city-
wide, that figure is 68 percent. An average of
69 percent of East Side graduates enroll in
postsecondary programs within six months
of graduating, compared with 51 percent
citywide. Of the East Side students who go
to college, three-quarters enroll in four-year
institutions.
The consortium's approach to assessment
dates back to the mid-1990s, when a group
of schools won a waiver from the state de-
partment of education to use more "authen-
tic" ways of assessing student learning. Part
of the burgeoning small-schools movement
in New York City, those schools sought a
more personalized way of teaching students,
and emphasized project-based learning, and
application ofideas to real-life things.
Facing the Evaluators
Ms. Mungin's 60-minute social studies
presentation reflected those values. She had
stepped outside the main focus ofher law
and justice class to research something that
intrigued her: why so many U.S. soldiers in
Vietnam turned against the war they were
flghting. On a mid-June morning, she took
her seat to present and defend her work,
sitting opposite her teacher, Ben Wides, and
the principal of a Bronx high schooi, David
Yazqu.ez. Both had already read her eight-
page paper according to the consortium's
shared grading rubrics, evaluating her anal-
ysis, her viewpoint and use of evidence, her
sourcing organization, and "voice."
Using the Power Point deck on her laptop,
Ms. Mungin presented the highlights of her
argument. She said that soldiers turned
Tiffany Mungin, a graduating
studentfrom East Side
Community High School,
presents a long-term
research project about U.S.
soldiers during the Vietnam
War to David Vazquez,
principal at the Bronx Studio
SchoollorWriters and
Artists, left, and Ben Wides,
a I 2th grade history teacher
at East Side Community High
School in New York.
EDUCATTON WEEK SPOTLIGHT ON CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT T CdWECK.OTg
Published July 17,2015, in EducationWeek
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3. EDUGATION WEEK SPOTLIcHT ON CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT . edweek.org
against the warlecause ofthe harsh condi-
tions they confronted in Vietnam, and be-
cause they came to believe their own gov-
ernment was lying to them about the war.
Both men took notes as they listened.
Then the questions began: Can you be a
little more specific about the things the sol-
diers felt the government was lying about?
Who was lying? You mentioned that Viet-
nam was under a dictatorship; what do you
mean by that? Your paper mentions how
these soldiers experienced very different
conditions and support than during World
War II. Can you elaborate?Was it wrong for
Americans who protested the war to bla-e
the soldiers who had gone to fight it?
The two educators took Ms. Mungin out-
side the scope ofher paper, too, asking her to
make corurections between that period and
the Iraq war, and to expand on her thoughts
about why governments lie, and whether
they still do so today.
They thanked her and asked her to step
into the hall. Mr. Wides and Mr. Vazquez
shared their thoughts and notes on her pre-
sentation, judging her opening remarks and
her response to questions separately They
evaluated them against the multiple factors
in the consortium's shared rubrics, rating
each one "outstanding" "good,"'tompetent"
or "needs revision." They agreed that her
thesis should be clearer, and that she should
strengthen her evidence that soldiers were
actually being lied to, notjust feeling de-
ceived.
Shifting from foot to foot in the hallway,
Ms. Mungin said it was "nerve-wracking"
to wait for their findings. "They didn't show
any facial expression, so I couldn't tell, was
I doing good or not?" she said.
As it turned out, she worried needlessly.
When Mr. Wides and Mr. Vazquez invited
the teenager back into the classroom, they
told her that her project met the standard
for high school graduation. They detailed
their feedback on each aspect of the paper
and presentation, and most of it fell in the
"good" or "competent" range. The only revi-
sion required for graduation would be prop-
erly formatting her bibliography. Their other
suggestions were optional fixes she could
make to improve the paper, which counts for
30 peicent ofher social studies grade.
Working Up To lt
Students at East Side spend months, even
years, getting ready for these presentations.
The school enrolls 650 students in grades 6
to 12, and all students do 30-minute "round-
table" presentations in their core subjects
twice a year. Requiring analysis and oral
explanation, they're smaller versions of the
high-stakes projects that Ms. Mungin did
to graduate. Students who spend all seven
years at East Side will produce about 50
such offerings by the time they receive di-
plomas.
In one classroom in mid-June, 9th grade
science students were presenting round-
tables to groups ofteachers and fellow stu-
dents. One girl was explaining a home en-
ergy audit she had conducted, and another
was explaining how she had used a sound
meter to monitor the volume in an iPhone,
an inquiry into averting possible hearing
damage. Around the corner, an 8th grade
math student stood in front of two teach-
ers and a fellow student, using an overhead
video projector to explain how he did the
calculations to expand an image by 50 per-
cent.
Staunch advocates ofEast Side's way of
Iearning, and testing, argue that it builds
not only content knowledge, but the skills
to apply it to real-life situations, to make ar-
guments and interpretations with it, and to
present and defend it orally. Principal Mark
Federman said that those skills----even more
than the content-offer students enduring
strengths in college.
3&
Ifyou want kids to write
well, to handle multiple
points ofview, do
science and not just read
it, apply math and not
just do it, read books and
discuss various aspects
ofliterature,
then you havE to teach
them in a way that helps
kids get those kinds of
skills."
"Especially for kids who are used to feel-
ing marginalized, to be .ul" i" *"irirrt"
" lln.ook Founder, Urban Acaderny,
"o["g"
irrd speak up, to tell an ;;lt;hr; New York
you think and why, creates a sense ofen-
titlement, an empowerment, they didn't
have before," he said. "Arrd that carries over
to things like getting what you need at the
housing of&ce. Getting your work noticed.
They can advocate for themselves."
Those strengths may be showcased in the
performance assessment, but they're built
through a different kind ofteaching consor-
tium advocates said.
"If you want kids to write well, to handle
multiple points of view, do science and not
just read it, apply math and not just do it,
read books and discuss various aspects of
literature, then you have to teach them in
a way that helps kids get those kinds of
skills," said Ann Cook, who founded one
of New York's best-known small schools,
Urban Academy, and helps lead the consor-
tium.
"That means a different kind of teach-
ing. Inquiry-based, emphasizing thinking
in depth rather than coverage. You have to
find a way to have students take ownership,
so they care about the projects they do, and
the papers they write. You have to create a
culture of revision, like, That's a good point,
extend it. Do another draft."'
That's the culture Javier Montero carne
from as an East Side High graduate. Now
a rising junior at the State University of
New York at New Paltz, Mr. Montero has a
3.0 grade-point average and plans a career
in mechanical engineering. He said that

4. I
EDUCATION WEEK SPOTLIGHT ON CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT I edweek.org
while fellow students in his English
composition
"ib'J"e.
"freaked out"
about writing flve-page papers, he
was calm, because he was used to
writing papers two or three times
that long.
"The way I study for my math and
science exams now is the way I pre-
pared for my roundtables and [end-
of-year presentationsl at East Side,"
he said. "I would study everything
from the entire semester, not just
stuff for my project, because I knew
there would be a lot ofquestions and
answers, and I had to know every-
thing."
'Ready to Excel' in College
Darryl Jones is the senior associ-
ate director of admissions at Get-
tysburg College in Pennsylvania.
He recruits students from East Side
High, and he says their college prep-
aration stands out as solid.
"I have sat in on classes, and the
teachers teach the classes as if they
were teaching college," he said.
"They emphasize more thought,
more reasoning, more critical analy-
sis. There is a lot ofdiscussion in the
classroom, and less is done by rote
memory, so these kids are ready to
excel in college. They're not sitting
passively and just absorbing a lec-
ture. They're learning to ask the
right questions. When you look at
highly selective colleges, thaf,s what
it's all about."
Gettysburg is one of a growing
number of colleges that make ad-
missions tests like the ACT and the
SAT optional, instead evaluating
students on their grades, essays, and
other things. But selective colleges
that require national admissions
tests can pose barriers to some con-
sortium students, since many come
from low-income famfies with little
history of formal education, fac-
tors iinked to lower scores on such
exams. Nearly nine in L0 East Side
studehts take the SAt but their
average score on the math and
critical reading portions totals 863
out of 1600. Their average score on
New York State's English Regents
exam--the only one of the five
state-mandated exams that consor-
tium students must take-is 67 out
of 100. The passing score is 65.
Advocates ofthe consortium's ap-
proach to learning and testing con-
tend that those results show a mis-
match between the deep leaming in
the network's classrooms and the
kinds ofknowledge that are tested
on the Regents, which are domi-
nated by multiple-choice questions
and require no writing longer than
a short essay.
Strands ofskepticism have dogged
the schools' approach to declaring
graduationJevel competency, how-
ever. One state department ofedu-
cation staff member who is familiar
with the consortium's work said that
in most cases, the assessments are
"quite rigorous," but in some, the
interactions during testing have
raised doubts about the tests'valid-
itv.
"You see these cases where a
teacher, because she cares about the
student, is walking her through her
presentation, pushing the quality
of what she knows she can deliver.
It's not cheating, but it s a confused
interaction," said the staffer, who
asked not to be named. "It's not to-
tally about proficiency and mastery.
It's about what you can produce
with the right support. Many of the
kids who can do it are ready for col-
lege. But many can't do it without
the support, and that support won't
be there when they go to college."
Tom Mullen, one of East Side
High's assistant principals, con-
ceded that the distinction between
assessment and instruction can be
"a touchy point," Iargely because the
consortium is gtounded on the belief
that roundtables and year-end pre-
sentations are as much a learning
experience as classroom instruction.
"Critics say they're fluffu," he said.
"It's tough: If we wade too much into
having lyear-end presentationsJ be
a teachable moment, they won't be a
valid assessment. We have to watch
that line. But we do.
uWe're teaching, and assessing,
what we think really matters. And
judging by our students' experiences
in college, I'd say we're onto some-
thing."
Couerage ofthe implemzntation of
collzge- and career-ready stan dards
is supported in part by a gant frotn
thc Bill & Melinda Gates Foundatinn.
Education Week retairx sole editorial
conlrol oaer th.e. content ofthis cooerage.
Published March 3,2015, in EducationWeek's
C urriculun Matters Bl og
English Teachers'
Group Seeks to
'Reclaim Assessment'
By Catherine GewerE
ith anti-testing battles simmering all over
the country, the National Council ofTeadr-
ers of English is advancing a message that
seems to go against the grain; ftedeim ss-
sessment.
lhe 104-year-old association of EnglisManguage arts
teachers has been hard at work on a project to protect
and preserve assessment. And let's be clear: They're not
talking about testing.
This organization, whose members are maniacally
devoted to wordsmithing and all the other literary arts,
wants you to feel the difference behneen testing-the
standardized exercises for which thousands ofteachers
prep students-and assessment, a carefirlly thought out
set ofpractices that can gauge each childs learning and
reshape instruction to enhance that learning.
The NCTEhAssessment Story hoject has been reach-
ing out to teachers in K-12 and college to find out about
what kinds of assessment are valuable to their practice.
If,s conducting a survey, in which it seeks-no shock
here-narative responses about the kinds of practices
that help teachers respond best to studenls as they learn.
Teachers are welcome to share their thoughts through
the fivequestion suwey, which is still available online.
When the survey period closes, the NCTE will compile
the responses into a report it hopes will offer something
ofa profile ofthe kinds ofassessment practices English/
language arts teachers consider important.
Lc a recent online chat that NCTE hosted about re-
claiming assessment, teachers' responses illustrated the
distinction between testing and assessment. Here's an
example:
"Literacy assessment is starkly different than literary
testing. One iirforms my practice; the other intemrpts it."
--@KevinEnglish
A post on the NCTE blog offers a few early highlights
ofteachers'responses to the survey about assessment.
What begins to emerge is a portrait of formative assess-
ment, a set ofpractices that are woven into a teachet's
daily work to inform its shape and to support students
as they work toward mastery.
That kind of assessment, however, is typically over-
shadowed in school by the other kind: standardized tesl
ing. Even as we speak, Congress is debating the role that
testing will play in K-12 education as it weighs a rewrite
of the No Child Left Behind Act. What it decides could
tell us a good deal about the relative influences that test-
ing and assessment will exert on teachers'day-to-day
work.

5. EDUCATION WEEK SPOTLIGHT ON CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT
Publisfud October 6,2014, in EducationWeek's Leaming Deeply Btog
COM M ENTARY
To lmprove Asses$ment,
lnvest in the Classroom
By Heidi Andrade
I was pleased to moderate the discussion
I atJobs for the Future's launch event. on
I September 30, for its new Deeper Learn-
I ing Research Series of while papers.
The ideas about teaching learning and as-
sessment presented by the panelists-David
Conley and James Taylor--are not new or
radical, but they are critically important and
extremely timely.
Why "not new"? Because we have known
for decades that it is necessary and en-
tirely possible to teach students to master
core content, think critically, communicate
effectively, work collaboratively, and man-
age their own learning. These are enduring
educational goals with ample support from
research, and it makes perfect sense that we
are still talking about them.
What was so exciting about the Deeper
Learning event was the fact that we are now
talking in concrete terms about what comes
next in terms of assessment in this country.
The educational community is disillusioned
and exhausted by NClB-inspired test-
ing and it is ready for alternatives. As the
Deeper Learning panel highlighted, there
is no shortage ofgood ideas and classroom-
tested practices available to us. We know
what good assessment looks like (as my col-
leagues and I describe in this 2012 paper for
JFF), we have many of the tools needed to
do it, and we are in the process of creating
coherent systems that make it practical.
A shift to better assessment will mean
investing Iess in standardized testing and
much more in classroom assessment--the
minute-to-minute and day-to-day assess-
ments that teachers and students use to
get meaningful feedback on learning and
to make productive adjustments to instruc-
tion arld studying. High quality assessments
based on classroom tests, assignments,
homework, projects, portfolios, and exhibi-
tions have been shown to have a sigaifi.cant,
positive influence on learning and even on
students'motivation. This too makes sense,
because the basic idea is simple:
Good assessment informs both teachers
and students ofwhere they are going (the
learning goals and performance targets for
a particular class and task), where they are
now in relation to those goals and targets,
and what they need to do to close any gaps
between the goals and their current per-
formance. "Ah-ha!" moments abound when
classroom assessment is structured to pro-
vide guidance, not just a rating or ranking.
For teachers, those ah-ha moments often
arise in response to clear information about
the exact difficulties their students are hav-
ing and precisely what they can do to help
them. And for students, the ah-ha moments
ofben sound something like this: "Now I
know what to dol" That's when learning
happens.
This is all lovely, but ofcourse there's a
rub: Too few states, districts, and schools
have invested in classroom assessment in
genera-l and teachers'assessment literacy in
particular. In order for assessment that ac-
tually promotes Iearning (not just measures
it) to become widespread, we need resources.
Thus, I hereby propose taking a small frac-
tion ofthe billions ofdollars states currently
spend on standardized testing and devotirg
it to the development of powerfirl classroom
assessments. Who! with me?
This post is by HeidiAndrad.e, School of
Ed.trcatian Associalz Dean for Academb Affairs,
and, Assuiate Professor of Educational Psychnlagy
and, Methadology, Uniuersity at Albany, Nbany,
lrr
Published May 6,2015,
in EducationWeek's
Learning Deeply Blog
COM M ENTARY
Tre Role of
Performaltb
Assessmetts
_-
m FostermE
Opport IIHEs
for Deeper
LearTffiI
By Elizabeth Leisy Stosich
here has been growing interest
among educators and policymak-
ers in using classroom-based per-
formance assessments as a means
for promoting deeper learning emong stu-
dents. Since performance assessments
require students to construct an original
response, rather than simply recognize a
correct arrswe4 they cal assess many of the
so-called 21st century skills"-critical think-
ing inquiry, communication, collaboration-
-that are essential for success in our rapidly
changing world but poorly measured by
many assessments.
I recently had the opportunity to learn
from a tesm offour experienced fourth-
grade teachers while conducting research
on how teachers in high-poverty schools
are changing their practices to meet the
Common Core State Standards. These four
women were early adopters of the Common
Core State Stardards, and they were all
learning to use performance assessmenLs
for the first time. These teachers described
using performance assessments that en-
gaged students in conducting research,
planning for and leading debates about real
world problems, and communicating their
ideas through multimedia presentations.
For these teachers, the process ofusing
model performance assessments and devel-
oping their own performalce assessments
helped them learn how to create authentic
learning experiences that would prepare
their students for success in adult life.
When these teachers first saw a model

6. curricular unit and perforrnance assessment,
all four teachers viewed the materials as too
difficult for their students. A special education
teacher on the team described the experience:
"The students had to look at political car_
',oons. They had to read articles. My first
thought was, this is way too hard for my stu_
dents. But we low teacher teami spent months
on it. We just picked apart every article.... We
used graphic organizers. Then tley were able
to meet those Common Core standards of writ-
ing opinion pieces using evidence from the ar-
licles.
I-yag very shocked at how well my stu-
dents did. I feel like the Common Coreirolds
you to these high staadards and these high
expectations, and youd be surprised what yiu
can_ do and what your students can do ifyou
stick to these standards.,,
This teacher and her three colleagues all
described changing thei expectations for the
kind of work they and their students could ac-
complish afur their success engaging students
in this indepth learning experiu.rc" ara perfo._
mance assessm€nt. Usrng, developing scoring
and ana-lyzing information from performance
assessments can serye as a powerful learning
experience for teachers about the implicationl
ofstandards for their classroom practice and
support them in leamingto teach to the more
demanding expectations of the Common Core
State Standards. Although using performance
assessments for the fust time required a great
deal of collaborative work for teachers,"they
viewed this extra work as worthwhile becausl
of the meaningf:l leaming it promoted among
their students.
. What limited opportuaities for deeper learn-
ing among students in these teachers,class_
rooms? The new state tests. The district and
state in which these teachers worked encour-
aged teachers to engage students in extended
projects and performance assessments in their
classrooms. Howeve4 the state developed its
own end-of-year assessments that were de_
scribed as "aligned" to the Common Core State
Standards but relied heavily on multiple_
choice test items designed to assess discrete
knowledge and skills rather than the appli-
cation of this knowledge. These four teac-tiers
viewed the state tests and their efforts to use
performance assessments in their classrooms
as, in the words of one teacher,,.two totally dif_
ferent things." This teacher explained, ,We,ll
start ofldoing Common Core up until Febru_
a41 and then it's test prep.,,In her view, teach_
ing to the Common Core meant engaging stu-
dents in rich and authentic opportunities for
Iearning and application; whereas, the end-J
year state assessments were a one_time event
that required frequent practice with test_prep
workbooks.
In contrast to the state assessments de_
scribed above, the new consortia assessments,
the Smarber Balanced Assessment Consor-
tium and the Partnership forAssessment of
I"fly":. for College and Careers (PARCC),
include short, constructed-response items anj
more extended performance tasks that allow
students to apply their knowledge or explain
thei aaswer. The consorhia .ss"-sr-"rrts a""
a great improvement over many previous as_
sessments. Nevertheless, the consorbia assess_
ments cannot measure students,abilities to
plan and conduct extended research, collabo_
rate with others to define and solve problems,
communicate orally, or use scientific tools.
Systems of assessment that draw on multiple
forms ofassessment are necessary to create a
more complete picture of students,readiness
for college arrd career.
fu David Conley and Linda Darling_Ham_
mond have documented, when state istems
ot assessment focus on nar.row measures of
performance-multiple-choice items measur_
ing discrete bits of information-rather than
opportuaities for students to demonstrate a
broad range ofknowledge and skills needed
for success in college and career, assessments
constrain rather than promote opportunities
for deeper learning. This carl havu p"rti."frrfv
harmfirl consequences for students in higi-
poverty schools, since these schools are typi
cally under the greatest pressure to improie
students' perfonnance on assessments.
In some states, the work these four teach_
ers were doing to engage their students in
authentic opportunities for applying their
knowledge through performance assessment
u an essential element of their systems of as_
sessment. The krnovation Lab Networks (ILN)
Performance Assessment project, a working
group ofthe Council ofChiefState School
Officers (CCSSO), supports member states
in developing systems of assessment that in-
clude performance tasks designed to measure
deeper learning. Led by the Stanford Center
for Oaportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE),
the Stanford Center for Assessment. Learn-
ing, and Equity (SCALE). and the Educational
Pohcy Improvement Center (EPIC), the ILIrrs
Performalce Assessment project is developing
an online resource bank of performan.e taskl
and the resources that support their use, in_
cluding high-quality performance assessments
that have been piloted with teachers; profes_
sional development resources in deveioping,
using and scoring performance assessments;
and policy frameworks for integrating perfor_
m€urce assessment in systems of assessment.
The ILN's Performance Assessment Resource
Bank will include highquality tasks that en_
gage students in multiple-step arld extended
performances, such as or"*ahirrg rrd devel_
opingmathematical models to write an article
on the rising cost of college tuition. As tasks
Decom_e more complex and require greater stu_
dent direction they assess more complex and
integrated aspects of leaming and reiuire the
plaaning, problem-solving, and persistence
that are necessary for success in the real world.
ILN states have already taken important
steps in developing systems of assessment
that provide more coherent gu.idance for the
meaning$:l learning opportunities in which
they expect all students to engage. For exam-
ple, New Hampshire,s approach to developing
a system ofassessments is based on the prin_
ciple that "large-scale assessment should sig_
nal the kinds of learning expectations coheren't
with the intent of the standards and the kinds
of leaming demonstrations we would like to
see in classrooms." New Hampshire,s perfor_
mance Assessment for Competenry Education
(PACE) system uses common performance
t_asks with high technical quality and locally
desigted performance tasks withclear techni_
cal guidelines to assess how well students can
apply complex skills and transfer knowledge
to demonstrate essential competencies fir
career and college readiness. T,his approach
integrates assessment in students, classroom
leaming experiences and reduces the level of
standardized testing.
Similarly, Kentucky has multiple efforts
under way to incorporate performance tasks
in their systems of assessment. Education
leaders in Kentucky recognize that mu.ttiple_
choice tests cannot measure students, abilities
to engage in haads-on investigations or use
scientific tools and are working with teachers
to develop perforrnance tasks that assess the
Next Generation Science Standards.
, For students to have opportunities for deeper
leaming, state systems of assessment must
include opportunities for applying knowlefue
and skills to the real problems siudents willl
face in college and career. Ihe Innovation Lab
Network's Perforrnance Assessment Resource
Bank will launch at the end of this summer
arrd provide high-quality resources__perfor_
mance tasks, task development guidance,
scorer training resources, policy recommenda_
tions, arrd more-to support states and disfuicts
in designing systems of assessment that pro_
mote meaningful opportr:nities for learning
and application.
This post is by Elbabeth Ipisy Stosirh research and.
poliq ftlktw ofthe Stanford Center for Opportunfu
Policy in Edu.cation (S COpE).
EDUCATION WEEK SPOTLIGHT ON CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT

7. Publistud Junc 9, 2015,
in E d.u catio n Wiik Te ac her
COM M ENTARY
S fref s SelfAssess
For M astery
By Starr Sackstein
ou might be wondering if students are
capable of gading themselves after a
yearworth of work.
You may be asking ifthey can objec-
tively review their growth and then take all of
their understanding of mxtery and parlay it into
a letter grade that suits the old system.
Perhaps a year or two ago, I too would scoffat
the idea ofstudents being able to really reflect on
their abilities and determine an honest level of
mastery that would yield an appropriate grade.
However, aft,er a year of breaking down the tra-
ditional mindset, it was time to put the fuIl power
into my students' hands.
Uneasily, I let go, providing them ample oppor-
tunity to review their body of work with a formal
checklist and set ofstandards and instead of
being the arbiter, I was an attentive listener.
Students were given a choice as to how they
wanted to do their self-assessments: written,
voice, video, screencast or in-person conference.
Choices were made, schedu-les adjusted arrd then
students were provided time to prepare.
Looking back on their body of work, they were
encouraged to review reflections, feedback and
their e-portfolio work so they were able to provide
evidence of their level of mastery.
So far I've been blown away by the level of can-
dor and self-awareness my students have dis-
played. With varying Ievels of preparedness, I've
eagerly listened to them share their ideas about
their growth.
After listening to the students speak and also
reviewing their notes or written assessments, I'm
happy to have my own opportunity to reflect and
adjust the curriculum as needed. Ihere have been
many things I would consider a success this year,
but I have a way to go for full adoption of this
growth.mindset.
Students, parents arrd colleagues are eager to
maintain the status quo if for no other reason
than its simFlicity If anything has convinced me
that this way is a better, more comprehensive way
to track student growth, it's the students'ability
to articulate actual learning.
Too often we are afraid that kids will fall short
in this area, but it just isn't the case. If we pro-
vide many opportunities for them to practice and
meaningfully reflect tlrroughout a year, then the
growth is exponential and far more meaningful
than a teacher provided assessment.
EDUCATION WEEK SPOTLIGHT ON CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT I edweek.oTg
Published April 29, 20 1 5, in Education Week's Finding Common Ground Bl.og
COM M ENTARY
3 Fbflect ive Act ivit ies
to Align Assessnent
By Jennifer Borgioli
I magrne looking up at the night sky on
I a spring night with no light pollution
t to mar the view, nothing but sparkles
I and twinkles overhead. Some stars
appear bright enough that you could
reach out and touch them, some are
muted and subtle against the black back-
drop. Numerous constellations are easily
identifiable. Suddenly, an asteroid comes
careening through the sky, blocking out
the twinkles, pulling your attention away
from the constellations and lovely spar-
kles.
To most students moving through pub-
lic education, their experience is very
much like that night sky. Each [ght rep-
resents a moment in which he or she is
asked to show what they know or have
Iearned, a moment that adults refer to as
"an assessment'.
Consider a middle school student:
n Frst EriE - she writes her findings in a
Iab report in Science,
n SecE furid - she completes a readels
response in ELA.
n Third Feritd - her writing conference
with her teacher is recorded so she can
review it later.
n F&rth Ferid - She uses a graphic orga-
nizer to cite her sources for a discussion
in Socia-l Studies.
n Ffth furid - Lunch to catch her breath...
n $xth RriE - Completes a ticket out the
door in Art class summarizing what she
found surprising that daSr
n Sevetrh Feri fd - In PE, she gives her
opinion about a new game they played
by using her phone to respond to a sur-
vey.
Like the stars, each assessment is inde-
pendent but also part of a larger pattern
and system. Some of these moments burn
bright and leave a permanent impres-
sion. In this case, our student practiced
for that Socratic Seminar for weeks; it
became a veritable north star on her ho-
rizon. The quick text after PE, though,
was more muted, barely noticeable. It was
just something quid: she did to share her
thinking with her teacher.
For a student, a constellation is analo-
gous to an individual teacher's assess-
ment system. Not all assessments may
be formalized, but each teacher has rou-
tines, habits, and techniques that provide
a shape or structure to his or her assess-
ment system.
Meanwhile, we've increasingly seen the
effects of trying to replicate that careen-
ing asteroid; oftrying to add more and
more asteroid clones into the night sky,
making it harder to see the stars, or in
some cases, even crowding them out so
that they are all but gone.
Documenting and reflecting upon a
classroom assessment system through
an audit or review is akin to setting up
a telescope and creating a star map ofa
constellation and the surrounding sky.
Reflective Activities for Teachers
An individual classroom teacher can
take stock ofhis or her own classroom
system by engaging in a series of reflec-
tive activities. The first is to generate a
Iist of all classroom assessments used
during a specific time period (i.e., month,
quarter, marking period, semester, etc.).
The list should include all of the differ-
ent ways in which the teacher has col-
lected evidence ofstudent learning. (e.g.,
worksheet on pivotal battles on the West-
ern front; recording ofstudents doing a
Socratic seminar around the essential
question, "Is war inevitable?"; World War
II test; For Whom the Bell Tolls project;
ticket out the door). The goal is to capture,
in writing, a sampling of the ways stu-
dents are asked to show what they know
or have learned before, during and a{ter
instruction.
A second activity involves pondering
questions like: Why did you become a
teacher? What is your goal for your stu-
dents? Using words, phrases, or pictures,
the teacher should try to capture what
it is he or she hopes students get out of

8. EDUCATION WEEK SPOTLIGHT ON CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT T edweek.oTg
being in his or her classroom. The goal of
this step is to invite the teacher to re-con-
nect with what matters to him or her.
The third activity involves comparing the
information generated by the first two ac-
tivities. That is,in what ways is he or she
measuring what matters? Each assessment
can be coded. Those that aligrr with or help
support the teacher's educational philoso-
phy can be coded with a check. A check plus
can be used for those assessments that il-
lustrate the teacher's most valued outcomes
or embody his or her reasons for becoming a
teacher. Finally, a check minus can be used
for assessments that have little or no per-
ceived value to the teacher.
The alignment between a teacher's philos-
ophy and her or his assessment system can
serye as a fi.rst step in taking stock. There
are a variety of other entry points or lenses
teachers could use to enrich or expand their
review For example, they could look for pat-
terns in the:
n flJrp[ses fD the assessme[s: when are
most of the assessments administered;
before, during or after instruction has oc-
curred?
n Types ff assessnetrs used: are the as-
sessments mostly multiple choice? Are
students asked to create products or too
demonstrate or perform what they've
Ieamed?
n lJsefulGss tr the assessnetrs: Are assess-
ments structured to give students feed-
back that helps them get better the next
time they tackle a similar task? Do they
support future curriculum or lesson plan-
ning activities?
n FairGss tr the assessneEs: Are the assess-
ments as free of bias as possible? Were
steps taken to reduce measurement
error? If a student fails an exam, it's be-
cause ofa gap in their learning not a flaw
in the exam?
n Aigfretr tEstatdards:Are particular stan-
dards targeted? What steps are ta-ken to
ensure that assessments are aligned to
the standards?
Collecting data by doing this kind of a re-
view is just the first step. Some reflective
questions to consider after the analysis in-
clude:
n What patterns do you notice?
n 14r[a1 imFlications do those patterns hold
for you?
n What revisions could you make to the as-
sessments you coded with check minuses
so that you can turn them into checks
and check pluses?
n Who could you share the patterns ofyour
data with to increase the health and bal-
ance of the assessment systems in your
school?
The powerful thing about this process
is the reminder that, unlike the night sky
which is immovable and outside our sphere
of influence, a classroom assessment sys-
tem can be tweaked and modified. Even
with (perhaps especially because of) the
brightness of the asteroid, we need to re-
member that we have much influence over
the learning and assessment experiences
at the classroom level. The act of doing
these kinds of review serve two powerful
purposes. First, it helps teachers and ad-
ministrators ensure that focus remains on
the stars, the curriculum-embedded assess-
ments, even as attention is captured by the
asteroid. Secondly, it can be the check and
balance to ensure the assessments students
experience are beneficial, useful, and pur-
poseful so that when that asteroid comes
by, it's a predictable, routine event that does
not distract from the beauty ofthe stars
and constellations.
Published June 1 8, 2 0 1 5,
in EducationWeek's The Startup Blog:
Ed Tech F'rom thn Ground Up
COM M ENTARY
FMe FormatMe
Assessmef
Tools
ReDmmefted
by TeaLLbr
Erperts
By Swaroop Raju, co-founder of educanon
oujust asked a question to your
classroom of 30 students. One
student raises her hand and gives
the correct answer. It would be
easy to assume that your class has gotten
a grasp ofthe concept and is ready to move
on to the next learning objective. The real-
ity, however, is that one student's response
does not reflect the overall level of under-
standing in your classroom.
One possible solution is that you could de-
liver a quiz to each student. But the grad-
ing would take up too much class time and
you'd be left without time to remediate mis-
conceptions the quiz reveals.
Fortunately, there are a handful of tools
that make formative assessments a fast
and fun process. We asked a few teacher
experts what their favorite formative as-
sessment tools are.
1. StbratiE
Mike Voth, AP phy sics teacher,
McKinney,Tex.
"Socrative provides quick and easy forma-
tive assessments. It is a great tool for mak-
ing AJ,L students think about and respond
to a question or discussion item. It works on
almost every device and is completely free."
2. IElaptvleet
Satnanthn Stebfiins, high school math
teacheti Riuerside, Calif.
Meanwhile, we've increasingly seen the
effects of trying to replicate that careening
asteroid; of trying to add more arrd more
asteroid clones into the night sky, making
it harder to see the stars, or in some cases,

9. EDUCATION WEEK SPOTLIGHT ON CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT
even crowding apt them so that they are
all but gone.
Documenting and reflecting upon a
classroom assessment system through
an audit or review is akirr to setting up
a telescope and creating a star map ofa
constellation and the surounding sky.
Reflective Activities for Teachers
An individual classroom teacher can
take stock ofhis or her own classroom sys-
tem by engaging in a series ofreflective
activities. The first is to generate a list of
all classroom assessments used during a
specific time period (i.e., month, quarter,
marking period, semester, etc.). ?he list
should include all of the different ways in
which the teacher has collected evidence
ofstudent learning. (e.g., worksheet on
pivotal battles on the Western front; re-
cording ofstudents doing a Socratic semi-
nar arould the essential question, "Is war
inevitable?'; World War II test; For Whom
the Bell Tolls project; ticket out the door).
The goal is to capture, in writing, a sam-
pling ofthe ways in students are asked
to show what they know or have learned
before, during and after instruction.
A second activity involves pondering
questions like: Why did you become a
teacher? What is your goal for your stu-
dents? Using words, phrases, or pictures,
"Setting up TodaysMeet literally takes
minutes. After the setup, you have a quick
and easy way to communicate with your
students, deliver formative assessments,
and gauge the efficacy of a lesson."
3. Hicrers
John Greenwood,4th grade teach.en
Huntsaille, Ala.
"Our school hasn't gone 1-to-1 yet, and
my students don't have devices they can
bring to class. Plickers is an easy way
for me to get a sense for each student's
understanding without any fancy tech.
Students hold up a card for their answer
choice and my iPhone carnera automati-
cally grades each response, giving me a
quick visual of responses."
4. kahffi!
Johnnell Ramlow, 6th gradt English-
language arts tuatheti Ozark, Mo.
"I use Kahoot! regularly. My students
Iove the competitive side of this online
quiz game. I love the instant feedback to
know what I need to re-teach or spend
more time on. I also love that I can flnd
published quizzes to use, or make my
own, orhave kids make a quiz-they love
that too."
5. eduGrrn
Tlent Goldsmith, o,c.counting, e conannics
and, business teacher, Lansing, Mich.
"I use eduCanon in my classroom due
to its compatibility with a blended class-
room. EduCanon allows my students to
create a !ath' and to take ownership for
their own learning of concepts. It frees me
up to teach application of these concepts
in class. Furthermore, it allows me to
check for understanding (through ques-
tioning during the videos), and it allows
students to 'get caught up' if they are
gone."
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