Understanding Instructionally Useful Assessment

“Even those educational leaders who possess a sound understanding of the general link between today’s increasingly high-stakes educational tests and student outcomes rarely seem to grasp the viscera of those on an educational leader’s alternatives. But here, in a particularly thought-provoking analysis, Evans and Marion do a superb job of sorting out key choice points when blending instruction and assessment—and then suggesting potential assessment solution strategies. For educational administrators who run our schools and our school districts, this is an obligatory read!” —W. James Popham, Professor Emeritus at the University of California Los Angeles, USA “Aren’t all assessments instructionally useful? Actually, no. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could tell how useful an assessment would be for specific instructional decisions before you selected and administered it? Yes! And that’s the purpose of this book. Authors Carla Evans and Scott Marion describe in detail the elements of assessment design, implementation, interpretation, and use that make assessments more or less useful for improving instruction and student learning. Readers will learn which types of assessments provide what kinds of more (or less) instructionally useful information and the factors that can influence their use and effectiveness. Explanations are illustrated with logic models and other graphic organizers to help readers structure their thinking about assessment and apply this information to their own educational contexts.” —Susan M. Brookhart, Professor Emerita at Duquesne University, USA “In this important and highly readable book, the authors discuss the relationship between assessment and instruction, bringing much needed clarity to what constitutes instructional utility and the features of assessment design and implementation that make assessment useful for supporting student learning. In the process, they address head-on the commonly held misconception that all assessments can inform instruction. Educators at all levels of the system will find value in the many insights and practical guidance the authors offer about maximizing the instructional use of assessment information and, relatedly, shaping the policies, structures, and practices that impact teachers’ and students’ daily work in the classroom.” —Margaret Heritage, Educational Consultant “The education system and public discourse about education is awash with data on student performance coming from a variety of assessments. But what do the results of the myriad of assessments, that range from classroom to district, state, national and even international contexts of use, really tell us? And most importantly, what is their value and potential for improving instruction and student learning? This volume lays out the answers in a straightforward way that pulls no punches as to the “instructional utility” of various types of assessments. It clearly articulates what factors contribute to instructional utility and then applies them to an analysis of multiple forms of assessment including those used formatively and summatively in the classroom by teachers, the assessments frequently used by districts, and the ubiquitous standardized achievement tests used by states to conform with current federal policy. This volume clears much of the fog and confusion associated with educational assessment and its value. It can help educators, administrators, policy makers, and the public understand the ways in which assessments can and should contribute to the improvement of instruction and the enhancement of student learning.” —James W. Pellegrino, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA