WHAT'S NEW - APRIL 2003

COMMUNICATING STUDENT ASSESSMENT

Welcome to the website for the Council on Alberta Teaching Standards (COATS). This area of the website changes monthly. The theme for this month will be of interest to teachers, administrators, and parents who are exploring the issue of communicating student assessment to parents. The first section below identifies several weblinks related to the topic. Also listed below please find articles and hard-copy sources about this topic. We hope that you find this website to be a valuable resource. For quick reference bookmark http://www.teachingquality.ab.ca today!

WEBSITES AND ARTICLES RELATED TO COMMUNICATING STUDENT ASSESSMENT TO PARENTS

Alberta Assessment Consortium. 2003.
http://www.aac.ab.ca/

Hosted by the Alberta Assessment Consortium, this website draws attention to the numerous resources for student assessment available to teachers within Alberta. Basically, the website provides a point of contact for teachers to access classroom assessment materials that are related to the Alberta curriculum. Many Alberta school boards and teachers are involved in this not-for-profit organization that supports classroom assessment. The website contains a valuable question and answer section to introduce its activities and describe its approach to assessment. The website also contains numerous links to professional resources touching on assessment.

Assessment, Evaluation and Communication of Student Learning. 2000.
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/physed/physedD.pdf

A key resource, this web page from Alberta Learning states official provincial policy with regard to assessment, evaluation and communication of student progress in learning. The underlying assumption is that assessment should be a positive experience for students and that assessment should support further learning. The policy is set forth under 10 guiding principles. Student assessment practices are intended to be continuous, collaborative and comprehensive, and to involve the selection of suitable criteria. This document clarifies the various roles of teachers, parents and students in the assessment process. The document also offers sample strategies for communication of student achievement.

Communicating Individual Students' FSA (Foundational Skills Achievement) Results.
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/assessment/fsa/communicate.pdf

This web document from British Columbia represents one approach to communication of assessment. The example deals with the annual province-wide FSA test of reading comprehension, writing and numeracy, administered to students in Grades 4, 7 and 10. The intent of the document is to explain the multiple purposes of the FSA as a "snapshot" test and to assist in the interpretation of the test results, which schools are obliged to provide. This document furnishes facts regarding the FSA test along with tips on communicating the results. The document also offers a sample individual student report as well as a set of relevant questions and answers.

John Martin School Plan For Communicating Student Learning. 2003.
http://www.hrsb.ns.ca/programs/eval/schoolplans/johnmartinplan.html

This website from a school within the Halifax Regional School Board serves as an example of a school plan for communicating student achievement to parents and guardians. Overall, the plan is designed to clarify the methods of student assessment practiced by the school and to offer parents advice on how to interpret the various reports that they receive on their children's progress. The plan also indicates appropriate channels for expressing parental concerns. The plan is set within the calendar cycle of an academic year. The approach adopted in this plan gives due attention to excellence in student performance. The website also contains a glossary of related educational terminology.

See also this related link from the Halifax Regional School Board:
Communicating Student Learning
http://www.hrsb.ns.ca/programs/eval/assessment/commstudlearn-2002.html
 

Parent-Teacher Meeting Guide.
http://www.mbteach.org/ptmeet.htm

This online guide created by the Manitoba Teachers Society offers advice to parents about preparing for an annual parent-teacher interview. Designed in a user-friendly format and intended to promote wholesome relations among teachers and parents, the advice is organized into three parts. The brochure's practical suggestions touch on suitable activities for parents before, during, and after the conference. Taken as a whole, the brochure is intended to clarify the expectations of teachers and parents around the child's progress.

School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP). 2001.
http://www.cmec.ca/saip/math2001/bulletinstudents.en.pdf

This web document, published by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, represents a concise approach to communication of assessment information. Essentially a two-page brochure, this document states specifically the purpose of the Canada-wide assessment in mathematics for 2001. This web document introduces the School Achievement Indicators Program, which includes assessment in mathematics, reading, writing, and science. The brochure elaborates on extensive preparations made to ensure the validity and fairness of the assessment. The document also invites the support of parents and students to ensure the program's success. Lastly, the brochure offers responses to questions that might be posed by parents and students.

Strategies for Improving the Process of Educational Assessment. 1999.
Matter, M. K.
http://www.ericfacility.net/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed431819.html

This ERIC Digest (No. ED431819) focuses on seven ways to establish schoolwide and district-wide assessment practices that will support teachers and principals in their communication of student assessment. Communication planning lies at the heart of the assessment process. Another strategy pivots around the role of a "Building Test Coordinator," separate from the role of the principal. Teachers, principals, district assessment offices and even parents all have their places in the approach described. In addition, Matter advocates the use of teamwork and of continuous improvement aimed at ongoing refinement of the assessment process as a whole. The digest also includes references for further study.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Title:		Fundamental Assessment Principles for Teachers and School Administrators.
Source:		Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation. 2000. Vol. 7, No. 8. http://ericae.net/pare/getvn.asp?v=7&n=8
Author(s):		McMillan, J. H.
Abstract:		This article from a peer-reviewed electronic journal arrays a set of 11 "big ideas" for teachers and administrators to bear in mind as they communicate their assessments of students' progress. One idea is that conducting assessment is a professional activity, based on sound evaluation practices. Such practices involve the balancing of many considerations. Good approaches to assessment motivate students and enhance learning. Sound approaches to assessment are fair as well. On the whole, the article expresses confidence in teachers' and school administrators' ability to carry out effective assessments.
ISSN:		1531-7714
Title:		How About Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences?
Source:		Principal. 2000. Vol. 79, No. 5. Pages 53-54.
Author(s):		Ricci, B. J.
Abstract:		This article offers a concise introduction to the practice of including students in the traditional parent-teacher conference. Writing as a principal from Rhode Island, Ricci shares his experience and promotes such student involvement aimed at enhancing student achievement. In the case of Ricci's school, the student evaluation system was modified to give prominence to student portfolios. The new approach entailed considerable preparation on the part of teachers and students, but parents found the approach worthwhile, and students grew in acceptance of responsibility for their own learning. Ricci's article includes a step-by-step protocol for conducting the parent-teacher-student conference, with the examination of student work at its center.
ISSN:		0271-6062
Title:		The Successful Parent-Teacher Conference.
Source:		Teaching Music. 2000. Vol. 7, No. 5. Pages 48-51.
Author(s):		Wise, P. C.
Abstract:		Focusing specifically on students who are involved in music classes, this article sheds light on the features of a successful parent-teacher conference. Acknowledging that such conferences can be stressful for both teachers and parents, Wise offers numerous helpful tips and suggestions for designing conferences that achieve their goal of communicating the child's progress to the parents. He invites teachers to approach such conferences in a professional manner, with adequate preparations beforehand. Similarly, he encourages teachers to be considerate and understand that parents sometimes find themselves out of their comfort zones at such conferences. This article will be of particular interest to music educators.
ISSN:		1069-7446
BOOKS
Title:		Conducting Effective Conferences with Parents of Children with Disabilities: A Guide for Teachers.
Source:		New York: The Guilford Press. 2000. Pages xiii + 303.
Author(s):		Seligman, M.
Abstract:		This volume addresses the need of teachers who want to conduct successful conferences with parents of children with disabilities. The tone of the book is set to assist the professional teacher to work together with the child's parents. The contents are presented in eight chapters. Early chapters describe the roles of teachers and parents. A later chapter contains useful materials on family dynamics that may influence the child's behavior. Other chapters focus on conferencing and interviewing tools, strategies for collaborating with parents, and suggestions for dealing with argumentative parents. One chapter is dedicated to conferences centered on the IEP (Individualized Education Program). Seligman is a professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.
ISBN:		1-57230-537-1 (pbk.)
Title:		What Teachers Need to Know About Assessment.
Source:		Washington, DC: National Education Association. 2002. The Student Assessment Series. Pages viii + 145.
Author(s):		Rudner, L. M. & Schafer, W. D.
Abstract:		This book offers teachers a synopsis of what they need to know about various facets of student assessment. The volume's contents are grouped into three parts under three major headings: fundamental concepts of assessment, concepts related to classroom assessment, and helpful assessment skills for students. The 19 topics treated range widely to address many points of interest, from validity and reliability, for example, to preparing multiple-choice items, to advice for students on how to prepare for standardized tests. This valuable book collects references for the various topics as well as readings for further study.
ISBN:		0-8106-2074-X