Discover the transformative power of storytelling in assessment and student learning. Drawing on culturally responsive practices, this approach fosters innovation, self-reflection, and student engagement. Through narrative-based strategies, educators can elevate formative and summative assessments, promoting authentic, competency-based learning; meaningful growth; and deeper connections to critical competencies, as well as cultural archetypes. This guide helps educators reimagine assessmen...

The time for grading reform is now. While the transition to standards-based practices may be challenging, it is essential for effective instruction and assessment. In this practical guide, the author outlines specific steps your team can take to transform grading and reporting schoolwide. Each chapter includes examples of grading dilemmas, vignettes from teachers and administrators, and ideas for bringing parents on board with change.

While much research has revealed which assessment practices have the most positive impact on student achievement and instruction, out-of-date, unproductive practices, which students find disengaging and disheartening, still persist. Discover how to use the power of assessment to instill hope, efficacy, and achievement in your students. With this research-based resource, you’ll explore six essential tenets of assessment—assessment purpose, communication of assessment results, accurate inter...

Get past the knowing-doing gap and confidently implement standards-based learning. This book offers a comprehensive look at what standards-based learning looks like in action, from creating formative assessments to using data to inform instruction to transitioning to standards-based grading systems. Instead of comparing students to each other, standards-based learning compares students' proficiency to performance standards and education targets. Each chapter offers readers a well-thought-o...

The time has come to separate academic achievement from student behavior attributes. Author and trusted assessment expert Tom Schimmer shares a three-tiered framework and trauma-informed, restorative, and schoolwide approaches to teaching responsibility, nurturing student accountability, and addressing student behavior in a way that teaches students the life skills they need to thrive in the classroom and in the larger world.This book will help K–12 teachers and administrat...

Get answers to your most challenging questions about implementing effective assessment and grading practices. How do we use assessments to increase hope, efficacy, and achievement? Is reassessment important? Can we change grading practices when stakeholders don’t want us to? All of these questions, and dozens more, are answered concisely, making it easy to build strong assessment and grading practices quickly.K–12 teachers and administrators will:Understand...

An age-old question universal to all teachers is “How do we get our students to care about their learning?” Jackpot! delivers actionable strategies to achieve that most important outcome of assessment—student investment. Not only does the book offer tools you can use, but it also addresses the mindset shift necessary for teachers to set students up for success as partners in their own learning.Classroom teachers will:Explore case studies covering a wi...

Rapid innovation is transforming the way people think, work, and connect. For students to succeed today, they must acquire the knowledge and 21st century skills required for college and career readiness. Practical and research-based, this resource will help you design meaningful, relevant skill assessment and instruction that promotes student mastery of critical competencies, including collaboration, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, creative thinking skills, communication skil...

The true power of assessment comes when emerging results determine what comes next in student learning. This practical book empowers educators and their teams, schools, or districts to move seamlessly between instruction, formative assessment, and feedback, improving school culture more effectively than traditional methods. Instructional agility enhances ownership of learning, proficiency, and motivation for students, and promotes a positive school culture. Each chapter concludes with refl...