Formative assessment gives teachers the opportunity to provide students with feedback in time to improve learning. Fluckiger, Vigil, Pasco & Danielson (2010) describe several techniques to provide formative feedback to students more frequently and to involve them more fully in the process. Although their techniques were developed specifically to enhance the learning experiences of postsecondary students across a variety of disciplines, teachers of students at all levels can adapt the ideas to their classrooms. Their goals are to "give feedback in time for revisions to occur, provide scaffolding for learners, inform instruction, and most importantly, involve students as partners in assessment" (Fluckiger et al., p. 140). The researchers believe their techniques result in improved instruction, enhanced student learning and better student products. Helping to build a productive classroom climate in which the emphasis is on learning, not grades achieved. Instructors can improve assessments by incorporating both formative and summative…...

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Study Island. (2011). Retrieved from  http://www.studyisland.com/ 

Tasdemir, M. (2010). The effects of REAP reading comprehension technique on students'

success. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal 38 (4), 553-560.

Educational assessment in the future seems to be moving towards teacher-oriented and performance-based assessments. Societal forces are driving this move, spurred by the increasing amounts of knowledge, and the demand for individuals capable of manipulating large amounts of information. As standardized tests slowly lose importance, the special needs environment will likely benefit from teacher-oriented assessments that allow instructors to focus curriculum on a child's individual needs and capabilities.
Stiggins (1991) argues that educational assessment in American schools is currently undergoing a rapid change that represents "the end of a six-decade assessment era and the beginning of a whole new era" (p. 263). The past 60 years have been dominated by assessments based upon standardized versions of objective tests. In this system, teachers "would teach.. And assessors would assess" (Stiggins, 264), thus clearly separating teaching and assessment.

This method of assessment began to come under fire, argues Stiggins, as society began to demand…...

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References

Professional Development Support Program: Teacher Centers, Aminda Gentile, Director. Assessment: Glossary of Terms.

Stiggins, R.J. 1991. Facing the challenges of a new era of educational assessment. Applied Measurement in Education, 4(4), 263-273.

Taylor, R.L., Tindal, G., Fuchs, L., and Bryant, B.R. 1993. Assessment in the nineties: A possible glance into the future. Diagnostique, 18 (2), 113-122.

Furthermore, the ITBS is timed because a student is allowed so much time for each subject, which gives the institution specific days to craft out for their learners to take it without interfering with their studies and the amount of hours needed in the classroom in order to satisfy the education requirements of the state. People in general are able to see where they are at through their ranking and to consider what areas they need to improve on and for parents to work with teachers so that success occurs. Since everyone is on different levels, this allows individuals to see where they are at and to continue to make improvement through the practical aspect of it (University of Iowa, 2011).
Is the assessment biased toward certain groups of people? Explain.

This assessment can have some level of bias present with it. Some students are favored more than others because of…...

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References

BrainChild. (2011). ITBS Online assessment and instruction. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from BrainChild:  http://www.brainchild.com/statepages/StatePages.aspx?state=IA .

Cradler, J. (2008). Data-driven decision making and electrong learning assessment resources .

Retrieved April 10, 2011, from ELAR:  http://www.clrn.org/elar/dddm.cfm .

Fair Test. (2007, August 17). Norm-referenced achievement tests. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from Fair Test:  http://fairtest.org/norm-referenced-achievement-tests .

Della-Piana's 2008 article "Enduring issues in educational assessment" the "key recommendations" in the report Nation at Risk called for standardized tests to measure "minimum competency" "at major transition points" to "certify the student's credentials; identify the need for remedial intervention, and identify the opportunity for advanced or accelerated work" (Della-Piana 2008). However, even for this early report, construct validity -- namely the question if the tests that 'raised the alarm' regarding student underperformance were valid -- was an issue. Tests that measure outcomes alone may not fully test necessary learning skills, like the ability to reason mathematically. But open-ended questions can be highly subjective in terms of grading. These were some of the problems critics had with the tests used in the report Nation at Risk and continue to plague many NCLB tests in states all over the union.
For example, an essay written by a student can…...

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All three articles examine NCLB and its current implications -- even Della-Piana's article, which is a historical overview of the report A Nation at Risk, as it mobilized support for greater use of standardized assessment amongst liberals and conservatives alike. Holland's review of current literature and data regarding current use of NCLB stands in striking contrast to Della-Piana's more focused examination of validity issues in standardized testing that have existed since A Nation at Risk. Hughes' book review, through which she examines how non-standardized testing can elevate performance in a specific context, provides a refreshing anecdotal approach to the generalizations of the other authors. All three authors grapple with the degree to which the loss of individualized curriculums helps or harms overall student learning, as well as with questions of validity regarding test results.

Points of agreement and disagreement

While all authors agree that the nation's schools are failing some of our children, the question remains how to address and improve this. Is a stress-ridden environment where some teachers even feel pressured to 'cheat' to save their jobs and schools really the answer, especially given questions of the validity and even the competent construction of such texts, as discussed in Holland and Piana? Hughes alone takes the brave stance that standardized assessment may not be useful or wise: "in an effort to leave no child behind, the United States is leaving many children behind," she writes (Hughes 2009). "Society must look beyond test scores and consider the impact of

Special Education
Assessment Options

There were a number of eminent points and observations regarding the methodology of assessment utilized within Maryellen Weimer's article, "Making exams more about learning," which initially appeared in The Teaching Professor in 2011. This article essentially functions as a case study in which an undergraduate instructor, Thomas Smith, employed a number of unusual methods to assist his students with the process of assessment. Among the measures that Smith adopted was grading the examinations students took individually with each student, as well as allowing them access to previous examinations on the same topic. While analyzing Smith's methodology, the author makes note of both positive and negative points that can aid additional instructors who want to incorporate some of Smith's techniques in the future. The overall effect is that readers and pedagogues are able to get a practical, compressive overview of alternate assessment methods that can easily be incorporated…...

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References

Osborn, J. (1998) "Assessing gifted children." Understanding Our Gifted Open Space Communications, Inc. 9-12. Retrieved from  http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10221.aspx 

The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement. (no date). "Using classroom assessment to improve teaching." Education.com. Retrieved from  http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Using_Classroom/ 

Reschley, D.J. (1996). "Identification and assessment of students with disabilities." The Future of Children. 6 (1): 40-52. Retrieved from  http://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/docs/06_01_02.pdf 

Weimer, M. (2011). "Making exams more about learning." The Teaching Professor. 25 (2): 5. Retrieved from  http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/educational-assessment/making-exams-more-about-learning/

Responding to the needs of a failing school is one of the most pressing challenges education leaders face. This assessment of the Washington High School case study is astute, paying attention to the need for top-down organizational structure and culture change. It is important for all administrators and educators to be honest and self-assess the situation, in order to come up with the most cogent and meaningful solutions to the problem. Indeed, the first step is total evaluation of the system. Unfortunately, even principles have their hands tied when it comes to being unable to transform educational policies. Educational policies are determined by politicians, often those with little knowledge of what actually occurs on the ground in the real world of education. In spite of this significant drawback to effective educational policy, education leaders and administrators can implement localized policies and programs that can change the normative cultures of their institutions.
The…...

Educational development is a mix of both formal and informal learning conditions as assessment of my own educational experience has taught me. I cannot say that one is more important than the other; each segment together has taught me different elements -- made me grow -- and combined in producing the 'me' that you see today.
In his "Notes for an Obituary," Einstein once noted that the system of education was a deliberate intention on the part of the state to mislead youth. He distrusted all forms of education, and from his pre-adolescent days refused to be taught. Religious leaders, too, he felt were disillusioned and deluding society. Yet Einstein felt that the fault belonged, not to the rabbi or to the priest, but with the force behind them that disregarded liberty of thought and made education compulsory. As regards Einstein himself, he was determined that formal education would not teach…...

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Sources

Kolb, David (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall

Ottawa University. Retrieved on Monday, January 24, 2011 from:  http://www.ottawa.edu/ .

Reaching In, Reaching Out.(RIRO) (n.d.) Children's storybooks that promote resilience. Retrieved on Monday, January 24, 2011 from:  http://www.reachinginreachingout.com/documents/Guidebook%20-%20Storybooks%20that%20Promote%20Resilience.pdf 

4. Conclusion

Educational Situations
Name four practices that commonly require written administrative procedures.

Memorandums that include school policy changes or important information for the staff are commonly distributed in writing so that the information is accurately conveyed and properly received and documented. Many staff communications to the administration, such as requests for new classroom supplies or for personal leaves of absence, are also communicated in writing. If disciplinary action of any kind is taken against a student, it is commonly recorded in writing in the student's permanent file, and a copy of this information may be sent home to parents. Finally, the recording of daily vital information, such as student attendance and test scores, are done in writing.

How would you know if you are complying with EQ policies and procedures?

A a) If I were not complying with EQ policies, I would receive notification or a warning of some kind from my superiors;

b) I will…...

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Bibliography

Graves, Bonnie & Michael. "Scaffolding Reading Experiences to Promote Success: A Flexible Approach to Fostering Comprehension." University of Minnesota.  http://education.umn.edu/carei/Reports/Rpractice/Winter95/comprehension.htm 

Education Queensland. Queensland Government.  http://education.qld.gov.au

This might also have an energizing effect upon the teachers as well.
Part 4 -- egarding mathematics, what can be done in the learning community to address the school's need? The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, an international organization of teachers who are focused on improving the math curriculum globally, presented new standards in 2000 designed to improve curricula, teaching and assessment. Within their rubric, six principles were established to address themes that were valid regardless of the school culture:

Equity -- There must be high expectations and support for excellence in math education from all levels; teachers, administrators, school boards, and parents.

Curriculum -- More than a collection of problems or activities, a math curriculum should be focused, well-articulated, and flow from grade to grade.

Teaching -- Appropriate and effective math teaching requires not only an understanding of math principles but of what students need to understand, and how that should…...

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REFERENCES

Mastropieri, M. (1994). Text vs. Hands-On Math Curriculum. Remedial and Special Education, 15(2), 72-85.

McKee, J. a. (2005). Integrating Instruction - Literacy and Math. London: Guilford Press.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2009). Overview: Principles for School

Mathematics. Retrieved from:

g. Johnny Appleseed for history, etc.). Read aloud, pass out a blank matrix and ask students to fill in the matrix with questions using Bloom's taxonomy -- at least two questions per heading.
Assessment: using a rubric, students can self-assess their work by switching papers with a partner and checking to see if the questions listed are appropriate for the taxonomy ladder. Once this is done, divide class into six groups, each group taking the "Expert Role" of one of the categories. The group will present their own definition of that category and give examples using one of the fruits used earlier -- not just asking, but answering and explaining why these questions are important.

Special Learners: Advanced students should use their favorite television program to fill in the matrix, paying special attention to the types of questions most frequently asked? Higher or lower level? Why? Slower students should work with 2,…...

Educational Vouchers: Multiple Issues and Contradictory esults
The Merriman-Webster online dictionary offers three definitions for "voucher": "...a documentary record of a business transaction; a written affidavit or authorization; a form or check indicating a credit against future purchases or expenditures." None of the three even approaches the emotionally charged version of the term "voucher" when it comes to the current debate swirling around public vs. private schools. This paper digs into the "vouchers" - or "scholarships," or "subsidies," if you prefer - provided to families in several cities and states, to move their children from less desirable, academically troubled public schools to more desirable, for-profit private, mainly religious schools.

Long before there was any discussion about vouchers, Horace Mann of Massachusetts - the "Father of American public school education" - was in the vanguard of the movement (1837) to solidify support for quality public education, excellence in teacher training, and free libraries…...

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Reference

ABC News (June 27, 2002). [Online] "Divided Court: Voucher Program Victory  http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/scotus_vouchers020627.html .

American Federation of Teachers (2002). [Online] "Report Reveals Right-Wing Backers of BAEO" "Milwaukee Vouchers Cost Twice the Tuition Amount Charged Non-Voucher Students  http://www.aft.org/research/vouchers/ .

Friedman Foundation (2002). [Online] "School Choice Works http://www.friedmanfoundation.org/schoolchoiceworks/schoolchoiceresearch.html.

Greene, Jay P. (2002). [Online] "Vouchers in Charlotte" Education Next Magazine  http://www.educationnext.org/20012/46greene.html .

Descriptive statistics were employed to describe the participants' responses and constant comparative analysis was used to quantify the survey data.
Results

According to the survey results, ninety-two percent of the school superintendents confirmed the validity of the twenty-one factors identified in the prior literature. However, fewer than eight percent reported having any methodology for applying those criteria to the school principal hiring process. Given the obvious correlation between the quality of school principals in relation to those factors, it is clear that school superintendents must develop practices and methods for using those criteria during the school principal hiring process.

Recommendations, Conclusion, and Implications

Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that public school superintendents develop specific assessment procedures and tools to enable them to better evaluate prospective candidates for school principals. Specifically, those methods and tools must relate to the factors about which there is a strong consensus among superintendents…...

This continuous assessment approach also allows the teacher in better planning for the term and making regular and necessary adjustments as the term progresses. They will know in the course of the term what is working for the students, he will hence be determined to look for what else he can do to help the students and change in direction if need be.

Generally, the continuous assessment is the best way to go since the teacher and the students are able to work in unison towards complementing the weaknesses that the student may have and compensate with the strengths that they have, all in an effort to ensure the weaknesses of the student are not left undetected until it is too late and also that the strengths of the student are identified and used appropriately to help the student (University of Connecticut, 2014).

The counterpoint that stands for one shot examination is…...

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References

University of Connecticut, (2014). Why Assessment. Retrieved April 22, 2014 from  http://www.assessment.uconn.edu/why/index.html 

Zakhe F., (2007). The role of continuous assessment in primary school. Retrieved April 22, 2014 from http://uzspace.uzulu.ac.za/handle/10530/531

They will in turn pass on that legacy to their own children. Since that is the general rule and principle, why does it affect persons of color more fiercely?
Persons of color are disproportionately represented in the low strata of the SE ladder. Amongst the poor persons of color have higher percentages and are more likely to exist in extreme poverty. Since SES determines where you live to a large extent, and where you live will determine the schools to which your children can attend. Then SES becomes a limiting factor because person whose household income is low will live in government housing and may be on some government support program. These persons will also have their children attend schools within these communities' schools where there is high teacher absenteeism, poor results on standardized testing and generally poor conditions (Lee, 2002). Again, in this regard persons of color are over…...

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References

Achievement gap (2002) National conference for community and justice. Retrieved from http://www.kccjky.org/summaries/full_achieve.htm

Anderson M.L. & Taylor H.F. (2010) Sociology the essentials. NY, New York: Wadsworth

Cengage Learning.

Brunner, B., & Haney, E. (2007). Civil Rights Timeline Milestones in the modern civil rights movement. Retrieved from  http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html#axzz0wJNCuRjZ

Conservatives, on the other hand, have many passions and one of them is a color-blind government. Most of them believe that all policies of discrimination should be discarded. They view these policies as unwise, immoral and unconstitutional. Three conservative organizations submitted a collective brief to the Supreme Court on the Michigan cases. These organizations were the Center for Equal Opportunity, the Independent Women's Forum and the American Civil Rights Institute. Their brief succinctly stated that racial preferences were incompatible with the 14th Amendment. The 14th Amendment, according to them, clearly states that no person within its jurisdiction would be denied the equal protection of the laws. The silence of the justices to this statement was perceived to indicate insufficient interest in the original understanding than in their own case law. In 1865 and 1866, radical Republicans proposed a constitutional amendment that no State could set distinctions in civil rights…...

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Bibliography

Katznelson, I. (2006). When is affirmative action fair? 19 pages. Social Research: New School for Social Research

National Review (1995). Courting trouble. 2 pages. National Review, Inc.: Gale Group

O'Sullivan, J. (2003). Affirmative action forever? 5 pages. National Review: National Review, Inc.

Paul, P. (2003). The legacy of affirmative action. 2 pages. Media Central, Inc.: PRIMEDIA Company

Outline: Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling

I. Introduction
A. Define homeschooling and traditional schooling
B. State the thesis statement: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling
vs. traditional schooling

II. Advantages of Homeschooling
A. Personalized learning
1. Tailored to each child's unique learning style, interests, and pace
2. Focus on areas of strength and improvement
B. Flexible schedule and location
1. No set hours or school days
2. Learning can take place anywhere with an internet connection
C. Parental involvement and control
1. Parents are directly involved in their children's education
2. Greater ability to monitor and guide learning
D. Socialization opportunities
1.....