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by: Chappuis, Jan; Chappuis, Steve

ISBN: 9780132548731 | 0132548739

Understanding School Assessmentwill help parents and community members understand the important role classroom assessment plays in school improvement and student achievement. It explains in clear terms what a healthy, balanced assessment environment looks like in schools and classrooms and what you need to know about the wide variety of assessment information coming home today. This book will help you work knowledgeably with teachers, schools, districts, other parents, and community members to create the best educational environment possible fo... MOREr your child and the children in your community. Also included in theTotal Professional Development Package - ISBN 9780132548922 Additional Resources Study Guide: Understanding School Assessment: A Parent and Community Guide to Helping Students Learn This study guide is provided as a support to individuals and school groups reviewing the lessons in the bookUnderstanding School Assessment: A Parent and Community Guide to Helping Students Learnby Jan Chappuis and Stephen Chappuis. Visit http://www.assessmentinst.com/resources/ati-resources/ to read more articles on assessment, download study guides, and more! To check out ATI events and trainings in you area, visit http://www.assessmentinst.com/category/events/ .

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Table of Contents
IN TRODUCTION	1
CHAPTER 1
Assessment in School Today	5
What Is Assessment and Why Is It Changing?	5
What Is the Purpose of Assessment?	8
Who Needs Assessment Information?	9
Sununative and Formative Decisions	13
Different Decisions, Different Assessments	20
Testing for Accountability	21
Assessment Literacy in the Schools	23
Important Ideas	25
CHAPTER 2
Connecting Student Motivation and Assessment	27
How Does Motivation Work?	27
Assessment as a Motivator in School	28
Research on Assessment, Motivation, and Student Achievemen	30
Accurate Classroom Assessments	32
Descriptive Feedback	32
Student Involvement in Assessment	36
Important Ideas	41
CHAPTER 3
What Students Learn: Standards, Curriculum, and Learning Targets	43
What Is a Curriculum?	45
What's Different About Curriculum Today?	46
Classroom Learning Targets: Four Categories	47
Who Benefits When Curriculum Is Defined?	52
How Parents Can Learn About the Written Curriculum	58
The Difficulties and Challenges Ahead	61
Important Ideas	63
CHAPTER 4
Classroom Assessment: Principles, Methods, and Issues of Quality	65
Assessment Principles: Standards of Quality	66
Methods of Assessment	70
Which Method Is Best?	76
Issues of Quality	78
Formative Assessment and Student Involvement Within Each Assessment Method	83
Helping with Homework	85
Important Ideas	91
CHAPTER 5
Standardized Testing	93
What Is a Standardized Test?	95
Using Standardized Tests When the Stakes Are High	104
Important Ideas	107
CHAPTER 6
Communicating About Student Learning	109
The Primazy Purpose	110
What's in a Grade?	110
Beyond Letter Grades and Symbols	116
StUdents as Communicators	118
Communication About Standardized Tests	120
Reconciling State Test Results to Report Card Grades	123
Important Ideas	126
CHAPTER 7
Putting the Pieces Together: Parent and Community Involvement in School Assessment	127
Working with the Schools	129
What Parents Should Know and Can Do	130
Conclusion	144
GLOSSARY OF ASSESSMENT TERMS	149
BIBLIOGRAPHY	155

Prior to joining ATI, Jan Chappuis was a curriculum and assessment specialist responsible for professional development and school improvement. Her background as an elementary and secondary teacher, combined with her assessment expertise and professional development experience, enables Jan to provide teachers and school leaders with practical solutions for motivating students and involving them in their own academic success. Her most recent publication, Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning, helps teachers adopt formative assessment practices shown to improve learning.

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.