First of all, determine what students are to know and be able to do (standards and benchmarks). Secondly, provide instruction aligned to those standards and benchmarks so that student will be able to acquire the knowledge. Finally, provide students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge attainment with an assessment that is appropriate for the type of knowledge assessed and aligned with the standards and benchmarks being addressed.

What is the district’s assessment policy? Does the faculty know the policy? If they know the policy, does their assessment reflect the policy?

The development of a quality assessment system is extremely important in the implementation of a standards-directed education system. During the assessment development process, staff discuss the benchmarks in a much deeper manner than ever before. The wording and intent of the benchmarks become the topic of professional dialogue, often leading to changing the benchmark. (Remember the document should be considered a “draft” for quite a while!) When the intent and interpretation of the benchmark is the same, the type of assessment becomes the next discussion. The major considerations for classroom assessment are that they are appropriate for the type of knowledge to be assessed and are aligned to the instruction and standards. The Iowa Technical Adequacy Project has begun this alignment process with reading and mathematics standards and benchmarks for ITBS/ITED subtests and multiple assessments for reading and mathematics.

The assessment implementation data taken from the Standards-based Classroom Self-Inventory section on assessments will give the district planning committee insight into the amount and type of staff development needed for the implementation of a quality assessment system aligned to instruction and standard.