·
Important to use
multiple types of assessment – multiple choice,
performance based etc.
·
Should assess
complex knowledge and skills not simply rote learning
·
Need to be
willing to pay – cost should not control how we assess learning eg. multiple choice vs. writing a paper
·
Need some
standardized tests for state and national comparison.
·
Tests must be
aligned to the curriculum – teaching to the test is only problematic if it’s a
bad test and the test doesn’t align with the curriculum
·
Wherever possible
assessment should involve meaningful work eg
performance based
Issues:
·
Schools
minimize/do not teach subjects that are not tested.
·
Should
promotion/graduation be dependent on successful mastery?
·
How do we
minimize cultural bias in tests?
·
Can we hold
everyone to the same standard when there’s significant variation in the schools
and their resources?
·
Should we use $
to reward teachers at schools identified as exceeding goals? Should all
teachers receive bonuses when they contribute very differently? (Would NC
accountability system be taken seriously if there were no $ attached? ie
percentage of students proficient posted and schools classified?)