EdSpeak: Connecting Teaching to Policy Through Research

Little Assessment Scientists When I was in fourth grade, I took my first six exams in the fall, a second 6 in the winter and the final 6 in the spring. I came home to my mother and complained that … Continued

In All Saints Parish a full house listened to Mozart, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Bach and John Rutter’s All Saints In Paradise. The Saturday evening gathering featured the Coolidge Corner Community Chorus performing their annual concert under windows of stain glass. This … Continued

The title of this piece is also the title of Jack Kerouac’s (2009) book, You’re a Genius All the Time; Belief and Technique for Modern Prose. “In the 1950s Allen Ginsberg asked Kerouac to formally describe his ‘spontaneous prose’ method, … Continued

This day is really about memorializing the past. It is a day of remembrance, of reflection, and of reconciliation. And it is a day for all of us to think upon the lessons from the past in order to make … Continued

Billionaire philanthropist Robert F. Smith woke up Morehouse grads by promising to pay off their student loans: “On behalf of the eight generations of my family who have been in this country, we’re going to put a little fuel in … Continued

Education has so many goals that it is hard to imagine accomplishing all of them. From goals such as honing our student’s ability to marshal a cogent argument, to using performing assessments that more accurately capture their thinking—the stated or … Continued

Fundamental Insights This week I am giving the entire column over to The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) who have put out a document called, “Fundamental Insights about Formative Assessment” (CCSSO, May 4, 2109). “This document is intended … Continued

Connor So I was visiting The Conservatory School in North Palm Beach when a kindergarten student, Connor, asked me if I wanted to see his trash project. I said of course and 25 minutes later he had happily lead me … Continued

Last night I heard another teacher share another disappointing story. Cindy, a Physical Education teacher in a high school was helping students prepare for job interviews. She advised them to dress up for the potential employers and go clean-shaven if … Continued

A continuing focus of my work is helping others understand the complexities of evaluating student learning by testing and assessment and determining the impact or outcome of teaching on learning. When we talk about what makes a good test, the … Continued