Where Assessment Comes First
Welcome
- Whether you are impassioned about assessment or searching for resources on research-based best practice, you are invited to explore the practical information you will find here.
Mission and Unifying Principles
- Promote the full potential of balanced assessment. Use assessment evidence to make informed decisions and reasoned judgments.
Putting Assessment First
- Assessment is a process rather than an ending. It provides an anchor in the stream of complex and multidimensional learning.
Assessment: Tidy or Toss
A few years back, Marie Kondo offered advice on decluttering our homes by regarding each item through a lens of joy. Assessment is typically not a joyful topic. Yet, it can be the elephant in the room that consumes substantial amounts of time and resources. In return, it offers little that wasn’t known or expected […]
Read MoreDeveloping and Sustaining a Culture of Assessment
Assessment is a process rather than an ending. Schools and educators rely on a toolbox of instructional strategies, resources, and opportunities for teaching and assessing. They select those that support the explicit goals and intentions of learning, along with ones that will engage learners. Generally, appraisals of learning are added after intervals of teaching, when […]
Read MoreEquitable Assessment
Assessment May Not Always be Equal, But it Can be Equitable Equal means that strategies, processes, and resources are evenhanded and equivalent. In schools and classrooms, it is easy to endorse equality as an ideal, but it may not be the norm. All learners may not have consistent access to information and resources. Some families […]
Read MoreASSESSMENT is MORE THAN a TEST: It’s Physical, Emotional, and Social Too
ASSESSMENT IS MORE THAN A TEST IT’S PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SOCIAL TOO! INTRODUCTION FIRST, learning and assessing can be stressful, whether mastering a two-wheeler, making sense of the periodic table, or settling classroom discord. Think for a moment about your learning and teaching stressors? SECOND, assessment can cause physical and emotional stress. Brain hormones such […]
Read MoreTestimonials
“Although my teachers agreed that the story of “The Blind Men and the Elephant” can be a metaphor for assessment, you facilitated and illuminated their understanding. Take-aways included valuable and relevant strategies that they could immediately put to use in their classrooms. I admire your dedication to our profession and your outstanding presentation skills. You are truly a 21st century educator.”
( Principal, Cheshire Public Schools )"Dr. Greenstein clearly explains how formative assessment can help teachers do their work smarter and more effectively. I especially like the way she weaves practical next-day strategies into the description of the topic. This is a must for any educator who really believes that every child can learn.”
( Jim L., Connecticut School Superintendent )“Laura has done a phenomenal job of building a research-based foundation; defining thinking, actions, and skills for living in our complex world; showing how to incorporate common core standards and technology into the mix; and providing suggestions on how to assess it all. As an added bonus, she showed us numerous assessment strategies and lesson plans.”
( Julie P., Assessment Coordinator )