Not just new assessments; new philosophy

An article on the NAESP website by Linda Darling-Hammond calls for Common Core-aligned assessments to be much broader than standardized tests of the NCLB era, measuring a full range of higher-order thinking skills and education outcomes, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, social-emotional competence, moral responsibility, and citizenship. They must also be part of a framework that considers multiple measures of valued outcomes in all decisions about students, educators, and schools. Decisions about student promotion, placement, and graduation -- as well as teacher, principal, and school evaluation -- should not be based on a single test, but on a combination of classroom and school measures appropriate to the students, curriculum, and context of the decision. The new assessments must also become part of an accountability system that replaces the old test-and-punish philosophy with one that aims to assess, support, and improve. Tests should be used not to place sanctions, but to provide information, and in conjunction with other indicators, to guide educational improvement. If used wisely, performance assessments can potentially address multiple education goals through a concerted investment. Not only will pedagogical capacity be enhanced, assessment will remain focused on its central purpose: learning for all involved. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.