Formative Assessment in a Brain-Compatible Classroom: How Do We Really Know They're Learning?, March/2016

How can students knock the top off any test? That’s one of the 14 key questions that Dr. Marcia L. Tate, a highly regarded assessment authority, answers in Formative Assessment in a Brain-Compatible Classroom: How Do We Really Know They're Learning?

Although teachers tend to avoid types of assessments that are difficult to grade, these assessments are often the only way to know how well certain students are learning. Tate describes the theories behind various assessment types and addresses specific ways to create brain-compatible learning environments that foster high achievement. Throughout the book, she guides educators in identifying where to begin in the formative assessment process and how to proceed as they develop expertise in:

1. Writing quality selected- and constructed-response test items
2. Building effective questioning that shows student learning
3. Understanding what students know before, during, and after lessons
4. Using checklists and rubrics to assess student learning
5. Leveraging group work, peer assessment and self-assessment

The book concludes with an explanation of 4 ways educators can ensure that students succeed in any assessment opportunity—a list that will have become obvious throughout the prior chapters. Educators reading it will be able to maximize the use of assessment, empowering all their students to succeed.

About The Author:

Marcia L. Tate, PhD, is the former executive director of professional development for DeKalb County Schools in Decatur, Georgia. During her thirty-year career with the district, she has been a classroom teacher, reading specialist, language arts coordinator, and staff development executive director. Marcia was named Staff Developer of the Year for the state of Georgia, and her department was selected to receive the Exemplary Program Award for the state.

She is currently an educational consultant and has presented her workshops to nearly half a million administrators, teachers, parents, and community leaders from all over the world. She has published a number of articles and is the author of seven bestselling books, including: Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites: 20 Instructional Strategies That Engage the Brain (2nd ed.); Shouting Won’t Grow Dendrites: 20 Detours Around the Danger Zones (2nd ed.); and Preparing Children for Success in School and Life: 20 Ways to Increase Your Child’s Brain Power.

Dr. Tate received her specialist and doctorate degrees in educational leadership from Georgia State University and Clark Atlanta University respectively. She earned her master’s degree in remedial reading from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and her bachelor’s degree in psychology and elementary education from Spelman College in Atlanta, where she was also awarded the Apple Award for excellence in the field of education.