Educational Leadership - November 2009

professional development and ensuring ongoing support for teachers to collaborate in developing appropriate performance tasks. Finally, school staff must be willing to evaluate assessments in terms of the value they bring to student learning and instructional practice. Do the assessments in question actually improve instruction? Do they influence the way teachers converse with one another about teaching and learning?

Educators Take Note

Education leaders need to be knowledgeable and persuasive in advocating the use of a balanced assessment system. Before designing any new schoolwide or districtwide assessment, leaders must build commitment at all levels to a data-driven culture and to the new teacher practices this culture requires. A well-planned approach to balanced assessment will offer teachers, principals, and superintendents the different kinds of data they need to be well-informed decision makers. EL

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References

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. London: King’s College.

Heritage, M. (2007). Formative assessment: What do teachers need to know and do? Phi Delta Kappan, 89( 2), 140–145.

Lachat, M. A., & Smith, S. (2005). Practices that support data use in urban high schools. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 10( 3), 333–349.

Perie, M., Marion, S., Gong, B., & Wurtzel, J. (2007). The role of interim assessments in a comprehensive assessment system. Aspen, CO: Aspen Institute.

Stiggins, R. (2005). From formative assessment to assessment for learning: A path to success in standards-based schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 87( 4), 324–328.