A Precis: Considering the Role of Assessment

As human beings, we are not perfect. Making mistakes is part of our daily lives, and one way or another we must recognize that we are responsible for our actions and learning. The sooner, the better! When we make mistakes in our lives, natural consequences occur. When we forget about our chores, the plants begin to wilt; when we are repeatedly late for rehearsal, we lose the lead role in the play; when we don't refill the wiper fluid, we will just have to live with our bug-splattered windshield. We either identify areas where we can do better, and learn the easy way. Or we continue to make similar decisions, learning the hard way.

The sooner we learn from our mistakes, the sooner we are able to make different, hopefully better, well-informed choices for the future. What if our students were provided with these same opportunities in school? What if mistakes were treated as learning opportunities, where part of playing, and winning, the school "game," was being able to identify their mistakes? As we consider the role of assessment, it's important to consider assessment not as an ending point, but rather as a process for both the teacher, and the student, to identify understandings and effectively make choices about ways to continue growing as a learner.

Educators are rethinking the way instruction and assessment are defined, and what follows is a brief overview of how assessment can improve instruction and learning in the classroom.