Answers to Essential Questions About Standards, Assessments, Grading, and Reporting
- Thomas R. Guskey - University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Lee Ann Jung - Lead Inclusion
The definitive guidebook to the complex terrain of 21st-century standards!
Standards, assessments, grading, and reporting provide the foundation for nearly every initiative in modern education reform. But what do these terms actually mean—and what changes in each area will bring about the improvements teachers and school leaders want to see? Here, Thomas R. Guskey and Lee Ann Jung collect the essential questions that stymie educators, and give each one a short, simple, jargon-free response.
Perfect for new teacher induction or professional learning on Common Core Standards initiatives, this book offers:
- A vocabulary and frame of reference to share with other educators
- An understanding of effective implementation in standards, assessments, grading, and reporting
- Specific ideas for purposeful action
Organized in a unique, accessible Q&A format, this easy-to-use guide gives educators the common ground they need for successful improvement efforts.
"This text is a useful tool that educators can use to build common definitions about frequently used and misunderstood educational terms within their state, district, or school. Only when educators have the same understanding of 'formative assessment' or 'grade reporting' can they be implemented with fidelity."
—Julie Quinn, Accountability Specialist
Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake City, UT
"Written in small sections, this book explains well how we assess, why we use different assessments, and asks guiding questions for application of assessments. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in educational assessments."
—Jeanne Collins, Superintendent
Burlington School District, VT
Free resources
Podcast: The Game of Grading with Tom Guskey
In this Leaders Coaching Leaders podcast episode, author Tom Guskey and Peter DeWitt discuss the downfalls of percentage grading, how grading is sometimes used as a punishment, and Tom's recommendations for better grading practices.
“Guskey and Jung have waded into the murky waters of standards, assessments, grading and reporting to emerge with a very accessible, readable text, providing thoughtful, research-based answers to the questions most often asked. Whether read in its entirety or utilized as a chapter-by-chapter resource, individuals and groups from all facets of the educational community will find value in its pages.”
“This book was an excellent introduction to assessments for the practitioner, pre-service educators and the lay person. Written in small sections, it explains well how we assess, why we use different assessments, and asks guiding questions for application of assessments. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in educational assessments.”
“This text is a useful tool that educators can use to build common definitions about frequently used and misunderstood educational terms within their state, district, or school. Only when educators have the same understanding of 'formative assessment' or 'grade reporting' can they be implemented with fidelity.”
"A strong, knowledge based book that hopefully will be well used to guide educational change in the areas of standards, assessment, grading and reporting by all the stakeholders in education."
"This book is a must read for educators and policy makers at all levels. The authors do an excellent job answering essential questions on standards, assessments, grading, and reporting using research-based evidence. If educators follow the authors’ suggestions, learning and teaching in schools would be transformed."
Love this book,but not able to adopt until we build our assessment course next year. Practical and readable-strongly recommended.
Great text. Provides terrific insight into the world of assessment as it should be practised in schools.
Considering for summer 2013
