Rationale: Classroom assessments
With increased accountability for student performance, teachers need a thorough introduction to the multifaceted role of assessment in schools, including how assessment connects to standards-based instruction. Teachers should understand the purposes and applications of different types of tests and be able to interpret student performance data. They should also know how to use test data to inform instructional planning in their own classrooms, as well as when planning with colleagues. While practice with classroom assessment might well be provided in several curriculum and instruction or methods courses, foundational topics in assessment seem best consolidated in one or two courses in order to provide comprehensive coverage while avoiding redundancies.
