Assessment for Understanding: Taking a Deeper Look

Assessment for Understanding: Taking a Deeper Look - "For many, ... standardized tests -- and the countless other smaller tests that are commonplace in today's classrooms -- are what come to mind when they hear the term "assessment." We look to the end-of-week spelling test, the end-of-quarter biology exam, even the high school exit exam, to tell us whether our children are developing the skills and learning the material they'll need to succeed both in and out of school. But tests aren't the only way to gauge a student's knowledge and abilities, just as reciting formulas and memorizing the periodic table is not the only way to learn chemistry. Throughout the country, many educators are going beyond traditional tests and using performance assessments in their K-12 classrooms to gauge what students know and can do."