Charlie DePascale

Mind The Gap

In my previous post, I waded cautiously into the topic of group differences on state tests, just dipping my toes into the murky waters of achievement gaps. In this post I will just keep on blogging until I am at least waist deep in the big muddy. I discussed the changes in the handling ofContinue reading “Mind The Gap”

Making Meaning from Mean Differences

There are few constants in this quickly- and ever-changing world. One of those, however, has been that there will be group differences on state tests, and those differences will be quite predictable. So, we find group differences in mean scores on the state test. Differences that we knew that we would find, the very sameContinue reading “Making Meaning from Mean Differences”

Re-Imagining Assessment at NCSA

This month, we celebrate golden anniversary of the CCSSO National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA) and with it, 50 years of innovation in assessment. The theme for the 2021 virtual conference is Re-Imagining Assessment. That theme is particularly well-suited for the annual assessment conference that I remember fondly as large-scale (short for the National Conference onContinue reading “Re-Imagining Assessment at NCSA”

With a Little Help from the Class of ’81

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friendsMm, gonna try with a little help from my friends Forty years ago this week I graduated from college. In many ways, however, this feels more like my 15th reunion than my 40th. Not that I don’t look and feel like it’s been aContinue reading “With a Little Help from the Class of ’81”

Something is Rotten in the State of Testing

To be, or not to be, that is the question: To be, or not to be. To test, or not to test, that is the question. Make no mistake, the current debate about state testing may be framed in terms of the pandemic and the specific context of spring 2021, but it is a much largerContinue reading “Something is Rotten in the State of Testing”

20 Questions – Student Proficiency Edition

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of the times spent on family road trips. The time in the car between destinations could have seemed interminable (much like the debate about spring 2021 state testing), but instead was filled with sing-a-longs and games. The sing-a-longs featured an eclectic mix of George M Cohan (Give MyContinue reading “20 Questions – Student Proficiency Edition”

Are You There Data? It’s Me, Charlie

It’s pretty much impossible to engage with any media platform on any topic without someone telling you, “The data speak for themselves!” or perhaps the less pedantic, “The data speaks for itself!” Often, that message is being delivered by a trusted authority like rock star Dr. Fauci (lately, very often). Other times, it may beContinue reading “Are You There Data? It’s Me, Charlie”

I Have Confidence in Me! – Thanks, Mom

I have confidence in sunshineI have confidence in rainI have confidence that spring will come againBesides which you see I have confidence in me I have confidence in confidence aloneBesides which you see I have confidence in me! With the three of us singing these lines from our well-worn The Sound of Music soundtrack album,Continue reading “I Have Confidence in Me! – Thanks, Mom”

Testing-21, Catch-22

As May begins, I feel confident in declaring the end of major combat operations in the war against Spring 2021 State Testing. States are doing what they have decided to do. Parents and students will do what parents and students do. Of course, skirmishes in remote outposts or densely populated strongholds will continue to claimContinue reading “Testing-21, Catch-22”

Teaching Literacy

A Holistic Reframing of Assessment Literacy for Teachers In this post, I summarize a presentation made at the 2021 annual meeting of the New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO). The presentation is based on my paper, Teaching Literacy – A Holistic Reframing of Teacher Assessment Literacy, in which I offer an alternative perspective on teacherContinue reading “Teaching Literacy”