Carol Commodore, Ph.D.,  is the founding member of Leadership, Learning and Assessment, LLC. She is also one of the founding members of the Wisconsin Assessment Consortium and an independent consultant with Pearson Assessment Training Institute of Portland, Oregon. Carol has also served as an assistant superintendent for instruction and a coordinator for assessment and has over twenty years experience as a classroom teacher, having taught students from kindergarten through graduate school. She has facilitated the development and implementation of a district-wide elementary world language program and a district-wide K-12 Standards and Balanced Assessment program for students. Carol’s research interests focus on the impact of assessment and instruction on learners and their learning. Her work with assessment, learning, motivation and leadership takes her across North America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. She has provided numerous keynote addresses, workshops and consultations for school districts, schools and educational and nonprofit organizations. Carol is also a co-author of three books, The Power of SMART Goals: Using Goals to Improve Student Learning along with Beyond School Improvement: Embracing Innovative Leadership, and Assessment FOR Learning An Action Guide for School Leaders, 3rd edition.

Steve Chappuis brings a strong background in educational administration to ATI. His leadership experiences include serving as a junior high principal, a senior high principal and executive director responsible for supervision of schools and principals. As an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, he implemented a standards-based instructional program that included comprehensive assessment plans with policies and professional development in classroom assessment. At ATI, Steve works with educators to help establish balanced and effective local assessment systems. He is also responsible for our leadership for excellence in assessment program - professional development for school leaders and policy makers, and is the co-author of Assessment Balance and Quality: An Action Guide for School Leaders 3rd. Ed.

Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................... iii

Foreword.......................................................................................................................... v

PART 1 Laying the Foundation............................................................................ 1

Working at the System Level.........................................................................................................................4

Seven Actions to Ensure Student Success..............................................................................................5

Supporting the Learning of the Leaders......................................................................................................5

Contents of This Action Guide......................................................................................................................6

Part 1: Laying the Foundation..................................................................................................................6

Part 2: Building the Vision........................................................................................................................6

Part 3: The Path to Assessment Balance and Quality.............................................................................7

Part 4: Required Skills for Assessment Balance and Quality..................................................................8

Part 5: Planning for Action.......................................................................................................................8

Additional Content...................................................................................................................................8

PART 2 Building the Vision................................................................................ 11

Vision Part 1: Balanced Assessment Systems...........................................................................................13

Classroom Assessment...........................................................................................................................16

Interim/Benchmark Assessment............................................................................................................18

Annual Testing.......................................................................................................................................18

Vision Part 2: Accurate Assessment...........................................................................................................19

Keys to Accuracy........................................................................................................................................ 19

Keys to Effective Use.............................................................................................................................21

Vision Part 3: Classroom Assessment for Student Learning....................................................................22

Assessment for Learning.......................................................................................................................23

Summary of the Vision................................................................................................................................25

Activity 1: Reflecting on the Vision of Excellence in Assessment........................................................27

Activity 2: Building a Vision of a Quality, Balanced Assessment Program.....................................28

PART 3 The Path to Assessment Balance and Quality..................................... 41

Beginning Your School or District Self-Evaluation...................................................................................44

Action 1: Balance Your Assessment System.............................................................................................44

Is Your Assessment System in Balance?................................................................................................45

Deepening Your Understanding of Balanced Assessment Systems......................................................48

Activity 3: Formative or Summative?......................................................................................................50

Activity 4: Conducting an Assessment Audit.........................................................................................52

Action 2: Refine Achievement Standards....................................................................................................55

What Is the Current State of Your Achievement Standards?................................................................56

Deepening Your Understanding of Refined Standards..........................................................................57

Action 3: Ensure Assessment Quality.......................................................................................................62

Can You Ensure Assessment Quality?....................................................................................................62

Deepening Your Understanding of Assessment Quality........................................................................63

Action 4: Help Learners Become Assessors by Using Assessment for Learning

Strategies in the Classroom..................................................................................................................66

Are Your Learners Involved in Their Own Assessment?.......................................................................68

Deepening Your Understanding of Assessment for Learning Strategies in the Classroom................69

Action 5: Build Communication Systems That Both Support and Report Learning............................73

Do Your Teachers Know How to Communicate Effectively about Student Learning?........................74

Deepening Your Understanding of Balanced Communication Systems...............................................74

Action 6: Motivate Students with Learning Success................................................................................76

Do Your Teachers Use Learning Success to Motivate Students?..........................................................78

Deepening Your Understanding of How to Motivate Students with Learning Success.......................78

Action 7: Promote the Development of Assessment Literacy.................................................................80

Do You Need to Promote the Development of Assessment Literacy?..................................................82

Deepening Your Understanding of How to Promote Assessment Literacy..........................................82

Summarizing the Path to Excellence in Assessment...............................................................................83

Activity 5: School/District Assessment System Self-Evaluation..........................................................84

PART 4 Required Skills for Assessment Balance and Quality.......................... 95

Leading Assessment for Learning..............................................................................................................97

Competency 1: The leader understands the attributes of a sound and balanced

assessment system, and the conditions required to achieve balance in local systems....................100

Success Indicators for Competency 1..................................................................................................101

Practice with Competency 1.................................................................................................................101

Activity 6: Merging Local and State Assessment Systems..................................................................101

Activity 7: Auditing for Balance in Classroom Assessment...............................................................103

Competency 2: The leader understands the necessity of clear academic achievement

standards, aligned classroom-level achievement targets, and their relationship to

the development of accurate assessments............................................................................................ 106

Success Indicators for Competency 2..................................................................................................107

Practice with Competency 2.................................................................................................................108

Activity 8: Embracing the Vision of a Standards-based School........................................................108

Activity 9: Implementing the Written Curriculum..............................................................................109

Practice for School Leaders..............................................................................................................113

Competency 3: The leader understands the standards of quality for student

assessments, helps teachers learn to assess accurately, and ensures that these

standards are met in all school/district assessments............................................................................ 124

Success Indicators for Competency 3..................................................................................................126

Practice with Competency 3.................................................................................................................126

Activity 11: Indicators of Sound Classroom Assessment Practice....................................................126

Activity 12: Analyze Assessments for Clear Targets............................................................................129

Competency 4: The leader knows assessment for learning practices and works with

staff to integrate them into classroom instruction................................................................................133

Success Indicators for Competency 4..................................................................................................134

Practice with Competency 4.................................................................................................................134

Activity 13: Communicating Learning Targets in Student-friendly Language............................134

Activity 14: Assessment for Learning Self-evaluation........................................................................138

Competency 5: The leader creates the conditions necessary for the appropriate use and

reporting of student achievement information, and can communicate effectively with

all members of the school community about student assessment results, including

report card grades, and their relationship to improving curriculum and instruction......................... 141

Communicating Annual Test Scores to Parents and Community.......................................................141

Grading and Reporting.........................................................................................................................142

Success Indicators for Competency 5..................................................................................................143

Practice with Competency 5.................................................................................................................144

Activity 15: A Rubric for Sound Grading Practice..............................................................................144

Activity 16: When Grades Don’t Match the State Assessment Results..............................................149

Activity 17: A Standard Cover Letter to Parents..................................................................................150

Competency 6: The leader understands the issues related to the unethical and inappropriate

use of student assessment and protects students and staff from such misuse................................153

Success Indicators for Competency 6..................................................................................................154

Practice with Competency 6.................................................................................................................154

Activity 18: “Is This Responsible?”.........................................................................................................155

Activity 19: Guidelines for Test Preparation and Administration..................................................157

Competency 7: The leader can plan, present, and/or secure professional development

activities that contribute to the use of sound assessment practices..................................................160

Success Indicators for Competency 7..................................................................................................161

Practice with Competency 7.................................................................................................................161

Activity 20: Supporting Teacher Learning Teams..............................................................................162

Activity 21: Discussing Key Assessment Concepts with Faculty.......................................................171

Competency 8: The leader knows and can evaluate teachers’ classroom assessment

competencies, and helps teachers learn to assess accurately and use the results to

benefit student learning........................................................................................................................179

Success Indicators for Competency 8..................................................................................................180

Practice with Competency 8.................................................................................................................181

Activity 22: Verifying Teachers’ Content Knowledge and Assessment Competence......................181

through Evaluation?.........................................................................................................................183

Competency 9: The leader analyzes student assessment information accurately, uses

the information to improve curriculum and instruction, and assists teachers in doing

the same............................................................................................................................................. 185

Common and Interim/Benchmark Assessments..................................................................................186

Annual Assessments............................................................................................................................186

Success Indicators for Competency 9..................................................................................................188

Practice with Competency 9.................................................................................................................188

Competency 10: The leader develops and implements sound assessment and assessmentrelated

policies......................................................................................................................................189

Success Indicators for Competency 10................................................................................................191

Practice with Competency 10...............................................................................................................191

Activity 24: Using School/District Policies to Support Quality Assessment....................................191

Activity 25: A Self-analysis for School Leaders....................................................................................197

PART 5 Planning for Action............................................................................. 199

Seven Actions.....................................................................................................................................202

Assessment Literacy..........................................................................................................................204

Principal Leadership Responsibilities...........................................................................................206

Action Planning for Assessment Balance and Quality...........................................................................209

Where Are We Trying to Go with Our Assessment System?...............................................................209

Where Are We Now?............................................................................................................................209

How Can We Close the Gap between the Two?...................................................................................209

Prioritizing the Actions to Take............................................................................................................210

Action Planning Templates.......................................................................................................................211

Top Section of the Action Planning Template.....................................................................................211

Bottom Section of the Action Planning Template...............................................................................212

Additional Planning Considerations.........................................................................................................216

The Comprehensive Assessment Plan.................................................................................................216

Helping Policy Makers Understand Balance and Quality....................................................................216

Communicating and Monitoring the Plan............................................................................................217

Analysis of Impact.....................................................................................................................................217

Case Study of an Individual Teacher or a Few Teachers....................................................................218

The Study of a Learning Team.............................................................................................................218

In Closing....................................................................................................................................................219

References....................................................................................................................221

About the Authors.........................................................................................................225

CD-ROM/DVD Contents...............................................................................................227

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