The Good and the Bad: Equity, Assessment, and the Great Education Crisis
“Assessment shouldn’t serve as a judge, but a guide, giving students direction on where to go next. It ‘fits’ students into the academic system, but should show them how they fit into the world—who they are, where they’re going, and what gives them purpose. It currently separates the ‘good’ from the ‘bad.’ It should find the good in each student and grow it.”
—from “The Good and the Bad: Equity, Assessment, and the Great Education Crisis” by Joanne McEachen, Mary Coverdale, and Matthew Kane
Download the paper here.
Regardless of measured academic performance, far too many students aren’t getting what they need to truly succeed, to experience wellness—a state marked by meaning, contribution, and fulfillment. For the health and well-being of our students and educators, we must create equitable systems of assessment that guide every learner on their path to success.
In “The Good and the Bad: Equity, Assessment, and the Great Education Crisis,” The Learner First’s Joanne McEachen, Mary Coverdale, and Matthew Kane explore the ways that assessment, and a more meaningful understanding of academic success, can help create an equitable experience in schools. The paper details three related growth areas along with practical ways forward for schools:
Growth Area One: Clarity of Outcomes
Develop a precise, community-wide commitment to an equitable definition of academic success.
Growth Area Two: Academic Assessment
Assess the outcomes that matter through authentic mixed-method assessment (AMMA), the integration of key outcomes into curricular learning, and the process of assessment moderation.
Growth Area Three: Cultural Well-Being
Foster a culture that puts well-being first, and in which rubric-guided professional dialogue enhances the experience of teaching and learning.
Check out the paper for insights and strategies on defining success, strengthening school culture, and delivering an equitable assessment experience.
Download the paper here.
