RSOM Faculty Development Guide: Start a Teaching Renaissance

This authoritative volume presents a state-of-the-art review of formative assessment in the classroom. World-renowned experts examine what is currently known about formative assessment and its application to teaching. The book balances theory and research with practical applications that will work with today's high-stakes accountability testing. Use this single resource to: Keep abreast of a topic that is critical to raising student achievement in the K-12 classroom. Implement formative assessment in the science, mathematics, English, and social studies classroom to motivate student effort and achievement. Understand how large-scale testing policies and procedures militate against the effective use of formative assessment. Conduct future research on formative assessment to enhance its positive influence on meaningful student learning.

Formative assessment has recently become a focus of renewed research as state and federal policy-makers realize that summative assessments have reached a point of diminishing returns as a tool for increasing student achievement. Consequently, supporters of large-scale testing programs are now beginning to consider the potential of formative assessments to improve student achievement. The mission of this handbook is to comprehensively profile this burgeoning field of study. Written by leading international scholars and practitioners, each chapter includes a discussion of key issues that dominate formative assessment policy and practice today, as well as those that are likely to affect research and practice in the coming years. Key features include: Comprehensive -nbsp;nineteen chapters cover all aspects of formative assessment including classroom assessment, large-scale applications, technological applications, applications for special needs students, K-12 and post-secondary applications, psychometric considerations, case studies, and discussion of alternative assessment formats such as portfolios and performance assessments. Integrative - thoughtful attention is given to the integration of large-scale and classroom assessments. Practical - provides practical guidance on how to conduct formative assessments that generate credible information to guide instruction. Global - provides perspectives from leading international scholars and practitioners whose expertise spans diverse settings, student populations, and educational systems. Accessible Style - although grounded in the latest research, the book's style and tone has been carefully crafted to make it accessible to both the textbook and professional markets. It will also be a critical reference book for researchers in teacher preparation, educational administration, and educational policy studies.