What a difference a word makes

Two little words, for and of, switch them in a statement and wow, what a difference it truly makes.  I agree that yearly testing is not the answer for assessing student performance. There must be other measurements throughout the school year so that students that are falling behind could be remediated rather than waiting to the end of the school year and fail a standardized test.  It isn't realistic to have more summative testing.  The monetary aspect alone would be too costly.  The time spent testing takes away from classroom instruction.  

I agree with the assessment for learning approach because "students and their teachers become partners in the classroom assessment process, relying on student-involved assessment, record keeping, and communication to help students understand what success looks like, see where they are now, and learn to close the gap between the two." ( Stiggins & Chappuis, 2006, p11)  This format shows the students what they need to learn and how their progress is going to be measured.  This should make the students more accountable for their success and fosters a positive relationship between teacher and student.

The authors claim that research has shown that the assessment for learning approach         " ' has yielded remarkable, if not unprecedented, gains in student achievement, especially for low achievers.' " ( Stiggins & Chappuis, 2006, p11)   This format has been successful at different grade levels and subject areas.  How about that for No Child Left Behind.

  Unfortunately, I agree with the authors in that the skills that a teacher needs to implement this format are not taught at the college level.  In addition, administrators aren't taught assessment training either.  Where are we going to get these skills?  Currently there is no easy way to fix this problem.  According to the authors, workshops and professional developments aren't effective methods of learning this approach. I agree that a monumental change such as this will require much more time than a few workshops or professional developments.  It can only be integrated by a combination of factors such as having education majors learning the assessment for learning method, and new teachers entering the profession mentoring experienced teachers.  Hands on learning can be just as effective for teachers as well as students.  

Reference:

Stiggins, R. & Chappuis, J. ( 2006). What a Difference a Word Makes. National Staff Development Council, 27 (1), 10-14.