Assessment Shifts

As future educators, it is important that the assessments you create for your classroom are valid and reliable and come in various forms, both formative and summative. In the age of assessment and accountability, high stakes testing has been the driving force behind today's educational culture, but it has caused many to question if high stakes testing accurately measures student achievement. Now with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, two different consortia (PARCC and SmarterBalanced) are working to develop assessments which are aligned to these new standards and embrace the focus of the CCSS to deepen student thinking. Review the following two videos to gain a better understanding of these assessment shifts that will be implemented during 2014-2015 school year:

• How the common core is changing assessment

• Common core: Assessment shifts

After reviewing the two videos, answer the following questions:

1. Does testing matter? Are assessment and measurement a valid tool for teaching and learning? Explain and provide your reasoning.

2. How are the Common Core State Standards assessment shifts different from high stakes testing? How are they similar? Do you think these assessments will be able to better evaluate student needs? Why or why not?

3. How important is formative assessment (ongoing) in the new era of Common Core State Standards assessments (see Frequently asked questions about the Common Core Standards) to gain a greater understanding of this new initiative)? Why is the use of formative assessment an important method in diagnosing your students' needs in order to create effective instruction?

Guided Response: Review several of your classmates' posts and respond to at least two who do not share your opinion of testing. Defend your own opinion with evidence from the videos or from other scholarly resources. Be sure to respond to any queries or comments posted by your instructor.