Assessment to Death
test
High Stakes Testing Culture
In an age of accountability and high stakes testing, we have accomplished a lot. We have managed to learn how to analyze assessment data to determine trends. We have also learned how to break down objectives or learning standards into their most intricate parts. Most of all we have learned how to make ourselves feel good about our data.Everybody is "data-driven" these days. But what does that really mean? There still exists a culture of assessment "I got ya". Frankly, we are so focused on assessments that we have missed the whole boat on instruction. If we put the same energy and intensity that we have invested in assessments into quality instruction, we might actually have more accurate assessments. Now I realize having quality assessments can and should drive instruction, we just need to vary it a little.
Fundamental Questions
How can we, as school systems, transition from a culture assessment for accountability to one focused on students learning? any of you may have experienced an educational system that has figured how the "game" of high stakes state testing. The more intimately involved you are with teaching and learning the more repulsive the idea of playing with what state standards are taught and tested to merely make a school district look good.I am ready to buck the system by actually teaching and assessing for student learning first. I am not saying we should do away with summative assessments of learning. I realize how necessary it is for every school system. I would just like to see the focus put in the proper balance. Maybe we could even move toward looking at project-based work or performance-based assessments. In future posts, I will share some different strategies for assessing for learning. In the meantime, I guess we will keep plowing away at making more new tests.
Assessment for Learning vs. Assessment of Learning
Rethinking Education: What If We Chose a Different Path?
bandwschool
The United States is at a critical crossroads in its history—nowhere more visible than in our public education system.
On one side are educational challenges: widening achievement gaps tied to race and income, an over-reliance on standardized testing, teacher shortages and burnout, limited professional development for educators at every level, and unacceptably high dropout rates.
On the other side are social challenges: student violence, teen pregnancy, broken family structures, lack of parental support for learning, and the crushing realities of poverty.
Together, these forces collide to interfere with one of our nation’s greatest promises: a high-quality education for every child.
But here’s the real question—what if we tried a different approach?
What if we put the family at the center of education reform?
What if students had the courage, space, and tools to voice their needs—and teachers were trained to truly listen?
What if teachers inspired students to learn through obstacles, not in spite of them?
What if we equipped every educator with the policy support, resources, and training to maximize their impact?
The “what ifs” are not just questions. They’re possibilities waiting for action.
And here’s the call: We cannot wait for another generation to be lost to broken systems and missed opportunities. If you’re an educator, start small—ask your students what they need, and listen without judgment. If you’re a parent, strengthen the bridge between home and school by showing up, speaking up, and standing beside your child’s teachers. If you’re a policymaker or community leader, commit to creating structures that empower teachers and families, not just measure them.
Education reform doesn’t begin in a distant office. It begins with us—today, in our classrooms, in our families, in our communities.
The question is no longer What if?
The question is Will we?
Tapping In
turned on pendant lamp
I am sure you are one of those individuals that love to learn. If you are anything like me, you even think learning is fun. But have you ever asked yourself why? Or better yet, have you asked, how long has it been that way? Many of you urban educators are facing students daily that don't seem to be infatuated with learning like yourself. So why don't we challenge ourselves to understand why we can't wait to learn something new and what was it that cultivated the craving for knowledge in our lives? If we can tap into that, maybe we can tap into our students.