Assessing the Assessments
March/April 2006 Table of Contents

A Tale of Two Test Types
W. James Popham
Good assessments should measure what students have learned and what they need to learn.

Standardized Testing: The Do-or-Die Agenda
Jonathan Kozol
The tests-and-standards movement has become a juggernaut that is overwhelming public education.

The Baldrige Program: Self-Assessment for Continuous Improvement
Sandra Byrne and Christine Schaefer
By constantly focusing on seven indicators of quality, schools can strive for excellence in every area of leadership and performance.

The Case Against High-Stakes Testing
Monty Neill
Standardized tests alone are poor tools for evaluating student learning, school curriculum, and instruction.

Testing for Growth
Gerald W. Bracey
It makes sense to measure students by their year-to-year progress rather than their test scores.

Helping Teachers “Think Like Assessors”
Marcella Emberger
Some critical shifts in thinking are needed if educators are to design realistic assessments to measure what students know and understand.

FEATURES

Research Report:
Cultural Diversity and the School-Family Connection
Nancy Protheroe
What may seem to be a lack of involvement by diverse families may reflect cultural differences and attitudes toward education.

The Changing Role of the School Librarian
Gail Bush
A broad background in curriculum resources and technology makes the school librarian an invaluable collaborator for teachers.

A Touch of Humor

NAESP in Focus

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