Creating a Focus on Learning

The Power of
Common Formative
Assessments

• Schools should certainly use a variety of
assessments:
those developed by individual teachers,
a state or provincial test,
district tests,
national tests,
tests that accompany textbooks,
and so on . . .

HOWEVER . . .

. . .sc hool leaders should never allow the

presence of t hes e ot her a s s essments

“. . . assessment for As teachers
learning rivals one-on-one work together
tutoring to study the elements
in its effectiveness of effective
and that the use of assessment,
assessment particularly they improve their
benefits assessment literacy
low-achieving students."

Reflection enhances student learning only when
it is :

• collective - a team of teachers reflecting rather than an
individual

and

• based on actual evidence of student learning
rather than an appraisal of particular teaching strategies

Te a c h e r s a r e
too busy
to clarify having
curriculum
and/or
someone
create else
assessments, do the work
provides
teachers
with an
important
and . . . service,
teacherslack the
knowledge
and
skills
to do the work well.

School leaders will
need to provide

time,

resources
,
and training

to assist them.

•What must our
students learn?

• How will we
know if they
have learned it?

Less is more :

main problem is not that we

do not do enough,

but rather that we

attempt too much

By focusing on essential skills,

teachers prepare for

80-90 percent

of the content that will be addressed

Recognize that common
assessments might
create teacher anxiety
They will recognize
that
results
from these
assessments could be
used to

expose weaknesses

My
teammates
If the results will lose
become public, I would rather respect for
parents may work in blissful me.
demand that their ignorance than
child be removed become aware
from my class. that I may be
ineffective.

I don't want to
participate in a
But what if I am process that The principal
the weakest can be used to may use the
humiliate or results in my
teacher on my punish me. evaluation.
team?

Helpful Assurances :
individual results will not be distributed to their
teammates,
will not leave the building,
will not appear in board of education reports,
or show up in district newsletters.

Te s t s c o r e s

Use will take care of

assessments
themselves when

as a means schools and the people within

them
rather than an

are passionately committed
end.
to helping each student develop

the knowledge and skills essential

Creating a Focus on Learning

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