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Speaking of Assessment
   
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Do Teachers Understand How to Assess Students?
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["Impara et al. (1991) investigated the extent that elementary and secondary teachers' interpretation of a standardized test score report from a state testing program was aided by the interpretative information provided by the scoring service. Some teachers, especially those at the secondary level, commented that they did not have to know how to interpret test scores because they could rely on the school counselors to interpret and explain test scores to students. Many teachers (about 37%) did not understand the correct interpretation of grade equivalent scores. All respondents had problems understanding how to combine scores from individual assessments, e.g., several tests, into a single summary grade. As in Impara et al. (1991), many teachers, especially those in secondary schools, indicated they rely on counselors to provide interpretations of standardized tests. In terms of the overall performance of the different levels of professionals in this study, the counselors at both elementary and secondary levels and the elementary principals received higher scores than did either the teachers or secondary principals. It is clear that teachers rely on counselors and that this group of professionals is expected to serve in a consulting role to other professionals within the school in many matters of testing and assessment, especially when dealing with formal testing programs. 
Pros and Cons of Assessment Reform  Student assessment is at the top of the list of things to tinker with by policymakers at the national and state levels, since it is viewed as a means to set more appropriate targets for students, focus staff development efforts for the nation's teachers, encourage curriculum reform and improve instruction and instructional materials in a variety of subject matters and disciplines (Darling-Hammond & Wise, 1985). 
   
Why is Assessment so Important? Assessment is important because it is widely believed that what gets assessed is what gets taught, and that the format of assessment influences the format of learning and teaching. (O'Day & Smith, 1993). 

The hope of policy makers is that changes in assessment will not only bring about the needed changes in students, but also in ways schools are organized (Linn, 1987, Madaus, 1985). Interest in performance assessment has also been justified on the basis that using such measures will promote educational equity (National Center on Education and the Economy, 1989). 
 
Of course, outside pressure external on testing programs can be ignored or resisted by local educators (Smith and Cohen, 1991). There is also ample evidence of the distortions in teaching that external testing programs can create (Shepard & Smith, 1988). Rather than encourage reform of teaching, inappropriate teaching to the test may occur (as opposed to teaching to the domain covered by the test). Rather than creating opportunities for all students to learn to high levels, even new forms of assessment may lead to tracking and limiting opportunities for some students (Darling-Hammond, 1994; Oakes, 1985.) 
 
Question for the Thread What's the difference between a learning record and a portfolio? Please respond on the Threaded Discussion
 
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