Assessment – Page 19 – Embrace the Absurd

Is that all there is?

One of the benefits of giving up a late Sunday afternoon to travel to the site of my Monday morning meeting is the opportunity to leisurely read the newest edition of the Late Late Bell from the Fordham Institute. Last Sunday, as the Amtrak Northeast Regional rumbled toward Providence, I read the following in theContinue reading “Is that all there is?”

This Is My Fight Song

Arizona, Connecticut, and a fuchsia wristband Charlie DePascale Last weekend I attended a concert in Boston with my daughter; an opportunity that has become more rare and more appreciated since she left for college four years ago. We arrived early and waited in line to hear Rachel Platten perform her breakout hit Fight SongContinue reading “This Is My Fight Song”

It’s Déjà vu All Over Again

Charlie DePascale The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. (source unkown) Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. (Santayana) Newman! (Seinfeld) This is one of those times when there are so many quotes that describe the situation so wellContinue reading “It’s Déjà vu All Over Again”

The Road to Hell and High-Quality Assessment

It is said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I fear that those building the road to next generation, high-quality assessments may be using the same construction crew. At the beginning of this month, Secretary King released promised guidance to states as a follow-up to President Obama’s Testing ActionContinue reading “The Road to Hell and High-Quality Assessment”

It’s January. Can Johnny Read?

While we spent the fall waiting for PARCC to set performance standards, NAGB to release NAEP scores, and Congress to reauthorize ESEA, students and teachers across the country were going to school day after day, week after week, month after month. Now it’s the middle of January and half of the school year is complete. Continue reading “It’s January. Can Johnny Read?”

Run, Forrest, Run!

As the final states release results from the spring 2015 Smarter Balanced and PARCC assessments, this post is a look back at a June 2010 presentation to CCSSO Technical Isssues in Large-Scale Assessment (TILSA) members on lessons learned from my involvement with the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP). The presentation was titled, Lessons LearnedContinue reading “Run, Forrest, Run!”

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

As the baseball playoffs roll on without my beloved Red Sox or adopted Twins, this is a brief look back at the story of the new Comiskey Park. In April 1991, the new home of the White Sox opened in Chicago. One article in the Chicago Tribune marked the occasion with the headline New Comiskey: Enjoy,Continue reading “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

If there are times when you feel you may not be smarter than a 5th grader take heart; that may not be as bad as it sounds. As states are beginning to release results from the spring 2015 administration of the Smarter Balanced tests we are learning that the score needed to reach Level 3Continue reading “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”

One in a Million, A Million to One

Interpreting Individual Student Performance on a Large-scale Assessment This is the third, and final, installment in a series of three posts based on a workshop presented in April 2015 at the annual conference of the New England Educational Research Organization. Across the land, there is a call for state assessments to provide more, better, andContinue reading “One in a Million, A Million to One”

What’s In A Name?

Aligning achievement levels and assessments This is the second of three posts based on a workshop presented in April 2015 at the annual conference of the New England Educational Research Organization. Proficient. The passing of NCLB made it a national goal that 100% of students would be Proficient by 2014; and the law made itContinue reading “What’s In A Name?”