Formative assessment is squishy. And squishy things don't easily yield to standardized measurement. And that creates an awkward situation in an era of numbers-driven accountability. That squishiness was on display yesterday during a panel discussion about formative assessment. (See my story for hig... Read Full Post >
An assessment expert argues that the great potential of formative assessment to shape teaching and learning could be squandered by the two new assessment consortia. Read Full Post >
Had enough talk about the election? Here are a few things to consider that have nothing to do with last week's events, all brought to you by teachers: • Revisit the question of whether social studies gets squeezed out of the curriculum by math and English language arts, since No Child Left Beh... Read Full Post >
We're all entitled to "our opinions," but schooling should take us beyond "mere" opinions into tentative conclusions that once again are held with care. Will this approach lead to dilemmas? Yes, yes, yes. Read Full Post >
Maybe teaching to the test wouldn't be so bad if schools had better tests. Read Full Post >
Diane Ravitch argues that "value-added" ratings of teachers based on test scores badly underestimate the impact of out-of-school factors on students' performance from year to year. Read Full Post >
From congressional races and gubernatorial campaigns to ballot measures, Tuesday's elections are important for the future of education policy and funding. Read Full Post >
Diane Ravitch writes: "Somehow our old disputes about whole language, bilingual education, and the new new math pale in comparison to the coordinated assault by powerful forces on the very foundations of public education." Read Full Post >
The webinar on testing ELLs is hosted by the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. Read Full Post >
A free Webinar on Oct. 29 will explore considerations for testing English-language learners in math and science. Read Full Post >
