Forum 9: Benchmark and Formative Assessment.

Many teachers still have an aversion to testing and assessment. Their claim is that testing and assessment takes too much time away from instruction. Yet, over the past several years, states and local districts have come to realize the importance of timely assessment in adjusting instruction to meet students’ needs. In an effort to ease the burden on teachers, states and local districts have developed (or purchased) benchmark assessments to aid teachers in this endeavor. The articles assigned for this unit (and ones you find on the Web) examine benchmark assessments closely and compare them to more traditional classroom assessments.

As a school leader, how will you inform your teachers about the use of benchmark assessments? How will you, as a school leader, evaluate the benchmark assessments you are provided? What suggestions would you offer your district with respect to the district’s use of benchmark assessment? Be sure to mention what you would look for, or be concerned about, with respect reliability and validity?