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Making Assessment Work for Everyone contains eight sections; each
provides information, suggestions, and opportunities to try out key
ideas. In addition, there are activities to use with students and reflective
exercises. Brief vignettes bring to life the challenges of equitable
assessment and enable readers to look over the shoulders of educators
who have developed strategies and tips for success. This book is intended
to be helpful both to individual readers and for use as part of a
professional development program. Activities for this latter purpose are
included with facilitator notes in Section VII.
The first two sections provide a framework for thinking about equitable
assessment. Section I provides an overview of research on issues of
cultural diversity, particularly as those issues relate to assessment.
There are insights into cultural patterns that open up opportunities for
creating instructional activities and assessments that encourage and
reveal -- rather than limit and mask -- learning.
Section II continues to build a framework for understanding high quality
assessment for all students. Like culture, the linguistic background of
students has a profound effect on their interactions with school. We, as
educators, must be aware of the linguistic strengths and ways of
communicating that our students bring to the classroom.
Section III focuses on the criteria for ensuring high quality assessment
for all students. Five keys to quality are described with detailed
explanations, examples, and classroom strategies.
Sections IV and V are "how to" oriented. Section IV describes how to
consider the five keys and students' cultural and linguistic strengths in
designing and interpreting assessments. There are examples from a
variety of schools and cultures as well as practical steps for individual
settings.
When the starting point is an existing assessment, Section V helps
educators evaluate its quality, identify pitfalls for diverse students, and
provide specific ideas for getting around the barriers.
Section VI: Readings to Deepen Our Learning
This section includes four excellent articles for learning more about the
impact of language, culture, and gender on assessment: "Embracing
Ebonics and Teaching Standard English" by Rethinking Schools; Gender
Equity: Still Knocking at the Class by David Sadker; Alternative
Assessment: Issues in Language, Culture, and Equity by Elise Trumbull
Estrin; and Culture Clash by Debra Viadero. Although these articles are available in the print version, we were
not able to secure their copyright for use on the Internet.
This section includes nine training activities to use with teachers (and
others) to explore the issues of culture, language, and gender in
assessment.
The final section of Making Assessment Work for Everyone includes
bibliographic information and identifies print and electronic references
for educators interested in each of the following areas: general resources
on assessment, ethnicity and assessment, culture and assessment,
language and assessment, and gender and assessment.
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