“Great book! It is easy to follow, succinct, and thorough.” —Celia Hilber, Jacksonville State University
“I appreciate the voice of the author in the chapters. The book reads more like a conversation with an expert than a bucket of facts. The text prepares beginning teachers. There may be more to learn about assessment during their careers but the Banks text provides all that is needed for a good foundation.” —Donna M. Johnson, Dakota Wesleyan University
“I have decided to use the new edition. Factors that played into my decision were its reasonable price, link of assessment to the other stages of instructional design, note of diversity and environment, and the point/counterpoint sections that can be used for discussion. I like the comprehensive look at many types of assessment.” —Terri Jongekrijg, Oakland University
370 pages, $56.95 list
1-57766-769-7
978-1-57766-769-8
© 2012
paperback
eBook availability
Classroom Assessment
Issues and Practices
Second Edition
Building on the success of the popular first edition, the author tackles the latest issues and practices in the field of classroom assessment. The No Child Left Behind Act has transformed the role of educational assessment, requiring annual assessments as part of a federal system of educational accountability. National accreditation organizations such NCATE have mandated standards-based performance and emphasized specific assessment benchmarks in meeting these standards. The inclusion movement to accommodate special-needs students in the regular education classroom also has impacted classroom assessment practices. Teacher assessment, classroom environment, test anxiety, the Race to the Top grants, and many more timely topics receive comprehensive yet accessible treatment.
Banks provides thorough and well-documented discussions of performance assessment, essay and multiple-choice assessments, formative assessment, and reliability/validity issues as well as invaluable classroom assessment tools that include portfolios, rubrics, journals, and models such as Anderson and Krathwohl’s revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Gender and diversity issues, including learning differences and socioeconomic influences on student achievement, are given in-depth coverage. Outstanding features include case studies, point/counterpoint debates on controversial assessment topics and practices, teacher application exercises, thought-provoking self-assessment exercises, and end-of-chapter activities that include review questions and opportunities for directed learning.
Banks provides thorough and well-documented discussions of performance assessment, essay and multiple-choice assessments, formative assessment, and reliability/validity issues as well as invaluable classroom assessment tools that include portfolios, rubrics, journals, and models such as Anderson and Krathwohl’s revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Gender and diversity issues, including learning differences and socioeconomic influences on student achievement, are given in-depth coverage. Outstanding features include case studies, point/counterpoint debates on controversial assessment topics and practices, teacher application exercises, thought-provoking self-assessment exercises, and end-of-chapter activities that include review questions and opportunities for directed learning.
Reactions
1. Instruction and Assessment
Linking Assessment with Instruction / Policy and Practice
2. Types of Assessments
Assessment Definitions and Distinctions / Categorizing Assessment Procedures / Quality Control with Assessments
3. Planning for Instruction and Assessments
Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives / The Anderson and Krathwohl Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy / Hunter's Model of Planning / The Constructivist Approach / Making Sense of It All
4. Diversity, Gender, and Assessments
Ethnic Issues and Assessments / Gender Differences and Assessments
5. Informal Assessments
Informal Assessment and Reflective Teaching / Student-Centered Basis of Informal Assessments / Constructing Informal Assessments / Journaling and Other Informal Writing Samples / Questioning as an Informal Assessment Technique / A Performance Profile / Observational Checklists / Self-Assessment / Challenges to Informal Assessments
6. Constructing Formal Classroom Assessments
Making Choices / Constructing Objective Assessments / Challenges to Objective Items / Strengths of Objective Assessments
7. Constructed-Response Assessments
Constructing Essay Items / Grading Decisions with Essay Assessments / Other Constructed-Response Assessments / Challenges to Constructed-Response Assessments
8. Performance Assessment
Pathway to Performance Assessment / Types of Performance Assessment / Measuring Performance / Common Evaluation Instruments / Comparison and Contrast of Assessment Types
9. Assessments and Grades
Grade Inflation / Why Do We Grade? / Grading Policies / The Relationship between Assessments and Final Grades / Preparing Final Grades / Quality Control Issues with Grades / Grades and Retention / Avoiding Grade Challenges / Communicating with Parents
10. Using Standardized Assessments
Background of Standardized Assessments / The No Child Left Behind Act and Standardized Assessments / Standardized Achievement Tests / Statewide Assessments / Diagnostic Achievement Tests / Aptitude Tests / Intelligence Tests / Statistical Measures in Testing / Conducting Conferences about Test Scores
11. Assessments, At-Risk Students, and Special Education
Children at Risk / Assessment Issues for Children with Disabilities / Assessment and Diagnosis of Children with Disabilities / Other Assessment Issues
12. Motivation and Assessment
Cognitive Views of Motivation / Social Cognitive View of Motivation
13. Special Considerations with Assessments
Classroom Environment and Assessments / Test Preparation and Assessments
14. Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Development
Standards-Based Teacher Assessment / No Child Left Behind and Teacher Quality Standards / Preparing for Formal Teacher Assessments
Appendix: No Child Left Behind Act
Linking Assessment with Instruction / Policy and Practice
2. Types of Assessments
Assessment Definitions and Distinctions / Categorizing Assessment Procedures / Quality Control with Assessments
3. Planning for Instruction and Assessments
Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives / The Anderson and Krathwohl Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy / Hunter's Model of Planning / The Constructivist Approach / Making Sense of It All
4. Diversity, Gender, and Assessments
Ethnic Issues and Assessments / Gender Differences and Assessments
5. Informal Assessments
Informal Assessment and Reflective Teaching / Student-Centered Basis of Informal Assessments / Constructing Informal Assessments / Journaling and Other Informal Writing Samples / Questioning as an Informal Assessment Technique / A Performance Profile / Observational Checklists / Self-Assessment / Challenges to Informal Assessments
6. Constructing Formal Classroom Assessments
Making Choices / Constructing Objective Assessments / Challenges to Objective Items / Strengths of Objective Assessments
7. Constructed-Response Assessments
Constructing Essay Items / Grading Decisions with Essay Assessments / Other Constructed-Response Assessments / Challenges to Constructed-Response Assessments
8. Performance Assessment
Pathway to Performance Assessment / Types of Performance Assessment / Measuring Performance / Common Evaluation Instruments / Comparison and Contrast of Assessment Types
9. Assessments and Grades
Grade Inflation / Why Do We Grade? / Grading Policies / The Relationship between Assessments and Final Grades / Preparing Final Grades / Quality Control Issues with Grades / Grades and Retention / Avoiding Grade Challenges / Communicating with Parents
10. Using Standardized Assessments
Background of Standardized Assessments / The No Child Left Behind Act and Standardized Assessments / Standardized Achievement Tests / Statewide Assessments / Diagnostic Achievement Tests / Aptitude Tests / Intelligence Tests / Statistical Measures in Testing / Conducting Conferences about Test Scores
11. Assessments, At-Risk Students, and Special Education
Children at Risk / Assessment Issues for Children with Disabilities / Assessment and Diagnosis of Children with Disabilities / Other Assessment Issues
12. Motivation and Assessment
Cognitive Views of Motivation / Social Cognitive View of Motivation
13. Special Considerations with Assessments
Classroom Environment and Assessments / Test Preparation and Assessments
14. Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Development
Standards-Based Teacher Assessment / No Child Left Behind and Teacher Quality Standards / Preparing for Formal Teacher Assessments
Appendix: No Child Left Behind Act