2010 Notable Education Book, American School Board Journal “Why is it,” writes noted assessment expert W. James Popham, “that today’s educators seem almost compelled to replicate their predecessors’ blunders?” Looking back over a career of more than fifty years in education, Popham identifies six key “unlearned lessons” in education and reflects on their impact on schools, teachers, and students. In an account enlivened by personal anecdotes and the unique perspective gained from long experience, he shows how each of these six mistakes has persisted over time, gives examples of encounters with these mistakes in the course of his professional career, and points the way toward straightforward solutions. This lucid and powerful book belongs on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the history of education and the intersection between assessment, policy, and instruction.
With plain language and practical examples, Popham covers key understandings for school leaders, including validity, formative assessment, interpreting test results, instructional sensitivity, and more.
What is assessment literacy? It’s a handful of fundamental understandings about the testing concepts and procedures that influence educational decisions. And it just might be the most cost-effective means of real school improvement. With characteristic humor and aplomb, assessment expert W. James Popham strips away the psychometrician-speak and condenses the complexities of educational testing to six practical and action-oriented understandings about validity, reliability, fairness, score reporting, formative assessment, and affective assessment. This book is for busy educators at the classroom and leadership levels who want • Tests that are worth the valuable time they take to administer. • Tests that accurately measure what student have learned. • Tests that fairly reflect teacher and school effectiveness. • Tests that provide the instructionally useful data that will help students learn faster and better. Assessment Literacy for Educators in a Hurry is the fastest route to acquiring the measurement moxie necessary to understand and advocate for better assessment practices and build a case for stopping ineffective and harmful ones. In just a few hours’ time, you can pick up the knowledge you need to do a whole lot of good—for your students, yourself, and our schools.
What's wrong with today's teacher-evaluation systems-and how to improve them Unsound teacher evaluation practices lead to misinformed decisions regarding strategies for student learning, resulting in negative effects to students. Education measurement and evaluation expert W. James Popham critiques what is wrong with many existing teacher-evaluation systems and offers an alternate system that respects the professionalism and dignity of teachers. Popham argues that, because teaching is a very situation- specific profession, the use of any paint-by-numbers, one- size-fits-all teacher evaluation system is patently absurd. Rather, the only defensible approach to teacher evaluation is to base it on collegial judgment, that is, on the evaluative conclusions of experienced teachers who have been specifically trained and formally certified to carry out this function. This book discusses: Key strengths and weaknesses of prominent teacher-evaluation evidence How to improve a flawed teacher-evaluation program The merits of a teacher evaluation program based on "evidence-governed collegial judgment
This chapter from W. James Popham’s Instruction That Measures Up details how classroom teachers can use formative assessment to determine how well they are teaching material, how well their students are learning it, and what steps will get both teaching and learning back on track if the results fall short of expectations.
Amplify your assessment literacy. Formative, data-driven, high-stakes—we all know the buzzwords surrounding educational testing. But often times we shelve our understanding of these terms because we think they are overwhelmingly complex. After all, isn’t that why we have "experts" crafting assessments? Those who care about our schools and students—teachers, administrators, policymakers, parents, citizens—will find The ABCs of Educational Testing the first accessible explanation of how and why having a fundamental understanding of educational testing is so important. Inappropriate tests are currently leading to harmful decision-making, and this book gives you everything you need to know to change that, including The purposes of tests The difference between and importance of reliability and validity How to build tests with fairness The importance of students’ affect Using a nontechnical and conversational approach, this book offers fundamental knowledge to free you from testing fogginess—all framed around practical actions you can take today to strengthen your assessment literacy for tomorrow.
ALERT: Before you purchase, check with your instructor or review your course syllabus to ensure that you select the correct ISBN. Several versions of Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products exist for each title, including customized versions for individual schools, and registrations are not transferable. In addition, you may need a CourseID, provided by your instructor, to register for and use Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products. PackagesAccess codes for Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products may not be included when purchasing or renting from companies other than Pearson; check with the seller before completing your purchase. Used or rental booksIf you rent or purchase a used book with an access code, the access code may have been redeemed previously and you may have to purchase a new access code. Access codesAccess codes that are purchased from sellers other than Pearson carry a higher risk of being either the wrong ISBN or a previously redeemed code. Check with the seller prior to purchase. -- Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Written with energy and wit, this reader-friendly text discusses practical ways in which teachers can develop and use well-written tests to improve their effectiveness in the classroom. With its constant attention to the instructional implications of educational assessment, "Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know, " 7/e, helps readers become assessment literate -- to understand the fundamental concepts and processes of educational testing that will influence teachers' hour-to-hour instructional decisions. The text recognizes and highlights the exponential increase in the importance of educational assessment in an era of common core state standards, national assessment consortia, and teacher-evaluations based on students' test scores. However, because the seventh edition was completed at a time when the nature of high-stakes educational testing in the U.S. was genuinely unsettled, the author consistently informs the readers of instances when, in truth, they need to "stay tuned" for the next development in today's high-stakes U.S. testing arena. As a result, the reader feels part of an exciting and evolving profession. 0133389138 / 9780133389135 Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know Plus NEW MyEducationLab with Pearson eText -- Access Card Package consists of 0132868601 / 9780132868600 Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know 7/e0133122484 / 9780133122480 NEW MyEducationLab with Pearson eText -- Standalone Access Card -- for Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know
In America's "Failing" Schools, W. James Popham provides parents and teachers explanations of No Child Left Behind as a whole, walking them through the implications for standardized testing in particular, in language that is uncomplicated and straightforward. Popham offers definitions of the law and its key terms, explanations of what it really means when a school is labeled "failing," and concrete suggestions for what can be done in response.
NOTE: Before purchasing, check with your instructor to ensure you select the correct ISBN. Several versions of Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products exist for each title, and registrations are not transferable. To register for and use Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products, you will also need a Course ID, which your instructor will provide. Used books, rentals, and purchases made outside of Pearson If purchasing or renting from companies other than Pearson, the access codes for Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products may not be included, may be incorrect, or may be previously redeemed. Check with the seller before completing your purchase. This access code card provides access to the MyEducationLab® with Enhanced Pearson eText. Jim Popham's widely popular Classroom Assessment shows teachers how to use classroom testing skillfully and formatively to dramatically increase their teaching effectiveness and make a difference in how well students learn. As in past editions, the author pays particular attention to the instructional payoffs of well-designed classroom tests and highlights the implications of testing on teaching throughout in special But What Does This Have to Do with Teaching? sections in each chapter. Decision Time vignettes present practical classroom problems and show readers actual decisions being made. Parent Talk features describe situations in which a teacher needs to explain something about assessment to parents and show what the author would say in that situation. And a lighter tone is established with cartoons to which readers can relate. The new Eighth Edition highlights the increasing importance of educational assessment in an era of common core state standards and teacher evaluations based on students' tests scores, incorporates the Standards for Educational and Psychological testing guidelines throughout relevant sections, and includes a new section on instructionally diagnostic tests to help readers evaluate the merits of commercial or locally developed diagnostic assessment. Personalize learning with MyEducationLab ® MyEducationLab is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with the text to engage students and improve results. Within its structured environment, students see key concepts demonstrated through real classroom video footage, practice what they learn, test their understanding, and receive feedback to guide their learning and ensure they master key learning outcomes.
With public and political demand for educational accountability never higher, educators are under enormous pressure to raise students' scores on standardized achievement tests. Policymakers are backing large-scale, high-stakes testing programs as the best way to determine which schools are failing and which schools are succeeding, and the only way to ensure the quality of students' schooling. Nonsense, says distinguished educator and author W. James Popham. In The Truth About Testing: An Educator's Call to Action, Popham explores both the absurdity and the serious destructive consequences of today's testing programs. He uses actual items drawn from current standardized achievement tests to show what these tests really measure and why they should never be used to evaluate school quality or teacher ability. But, Popham insists, there's a way out of this measurement mess. And it's up to educators to take the first steps. Throughout this commonsense and conversational resource, the author appeals to educators to build their own assessment literacy, spread the word about harmful testing, and reexamine how they use test data in the classroom. He provides * Advice for distinguishing between sound and unsound large-scale tests. * Guidelines to help teachers maximize the instructional benefits properly constructed classroom tests can bring. * Evidence-gathering strategies for teachers and administrators trying to survive and thrive in an accountability-driven environment. The book closes with a series of action items for educators interested in ending the score-boosting game, halting the erosion of educational quality, and establishing the kind of testing that can improve student learning. Note: This product listing is for the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version of the book.
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