Smarter Assessment in the Secondary Classroom Video (DVD), Feb/2016

When taking a hard look at assessment policies in schools, the most obvious question is: do the grades we assign to students truly reflect the extent of their learning? And the unfortunate answer is… probably not. In studying many of the assessment policies that teachers adopt, it becomes clear that they can actually prove detrimental to student motivation and achievement. But it doesn’t need to be this way.
 
In this video, discover that policies can be tailored to focus on what really matters, student understanding of the content. Author and educator, Myron Dueck, and his talented colleagues at high schools in Penticton and Summerland, British Columbia, will open a window into their classrooms as they work on figuring this out. Learn how they’re revamping their assessment procedures and developing a variety of new practical strategies and consider key ideas like:

• Teachers should grade smarter, not harder. Smarter thinking and planning will actually diminish a teacher’s workload.
   
• Teachers often function better as coaches.
   
• Learning is more important than grades. Rather than grading everything students do regardless of its purpose, organizing lessons according to learning goals and identifying clear levels of performance keeps the focus on learning. Then, improvement will follow.
   
• Positive relationships are essential for success in teaching and learning, and changing assessment strategies can have a profound effect on the relationship between teacher and student.