Ahead of the Curve

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Education / School Improvement

ahead of the curve

Douglas

—From the Introduction by Douglas Reeves Douglas Reeves

Dr. Reeves is the author of many articles and more than 20 books, including The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results, as well as the best-selling Making Standards Work: How to Implement Standards-Based Assessments in the Classroom, School, and District, now in its third edition.

Section 1 Classroom Assessment Thomas Guskey explores how to make assessments useful for both students and teachers. Anne Davies offers four cornerstones for assessment with powerful practices built on these cornerstones. Rick Stiggins describes what it means to assess accurately and how we must use the assessment process and its results to lift students to greater levels of achievement. Section 2 System-Level Assessment Larry Ainsworth asks what kinds of assessments should we give students on a regular basis and how frequently, and how will we use the results to guide instruction? Robert Marzano provides a model for designing a comprehensive approach to classroom assessment. Ken O’Connor reveals that traditional grades are counterproductive to learning and suggests the implementation of eight guidelines to transform grading to a standards-based approach.

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Section 3 Assessment Challenges Lisa Almeida guides the classroom teacher through the journey of assessment for English language learners (ELLs). Linda Gregg discusses the challenges of effective classroom assessment for students with special needs. Section 4 Assessment Leadership Dylan Wiliam argues that we must focus relentlessly on the minute-tominute and day-to-day use of assessment to adjust instruction. Stephen White describes a purposeful approach to selecting data and extracting meaning from the data. Douglas Reeves addresses the issue of implementation of effective practice in assessment and the role that leaders play. Epilogue Richard DuFour offers a powerful story that illustrates a model of excellence in assessment in a school setting.

Reeves

Dr. Reeves was twice selected for the Harvard Distinguished Authors Series. He won the Parent’s Choice Award for his writing for children and parents and was named the 2006 Brock International Laureate. His work appears in numerous national journals, magazines, and newspapers.

Introduction Douglas Reeves proposes we replace the bell curve with a new vision for achievement, assessment, and equity: the “mountain curve.”

The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning

Dr. Reeves is also a frequent keynote speaker in the United States and abroad for education, government, and business organizations. Beyond his work in largescale assessment and research, Dr. Reeves has devoted many years to classroom teaching with students of all ages.

Ahead of the Curve brings the ideas and recommendations of many internationally renowned education leaders into one resource for educators working to help their students achieve at ever-higher levels. Each chapter contributes to a sound conceptual framework and offers specific, practical strategies for assessment.

ahead of the curve

“As educators, school leaders, and policymakers, we exist in a world where too often assessment equals high-stakes tests. . . . The contributors to this volume call for a redirection of assessment to its fundamental purpose: the improvement of student achievement, teaching practice, and leadership decision-making.”

Reeves EDITOR

EDITOR

The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning

Douglas Reeves, Ph.D., is founder of The Leadership and Learning Center (formerly the Center for Performance Assessment), an international organization dedicated to improving student achievement and educational equity.

Douglas

Reeves

The Leading Edge is the undefined space where leaders venture to impact change—it is the place where transformation begins. The Leading Edge series unites education authorities from around the globe and asks them to confront the important issues that affect teachers and administrators—the issues that profoundly impact student success.

ahead of the curve

The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning Larry Ainsworth Lisa Almeida Anne Davies Richard DuFour Linda Gregg Thomas Guskey Robert Marzano Ken O’Connor Douglas Reeves Rick Stiggins Stephen White Dylan Wiliam

The experts contributing to this anthology do not prescribe one method to transact change. They embrace the mission, trusting that teachers and administrators—the true change leaders—will venture to the Leading Edge to embrace the challenges and opportunities that will guarantee the success of their students. You are invited to the Leading Edge to explore Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning. This second book in the series provides a comprehensive view of the challenges of assessment—from a classroom, system, and leadership standpoint—and examines the many perspectives of effective assessment design and implementation. The distinguished contributors to this volume support the premise that the fundamental purpose of assessment is not to rate, rank, and sort students, but rather to provide meaningful feedback that leads to improved performance. The authors believe that assessment is most productive when its purpose is for learning rather than for simply measuring it. The Leading Edge series also includes On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities.


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