Episode description

This episode is the first in a series on a really important topic: Assessment. How can we debunk the idea of ‘standards-aligned assessments’? What about ‘standards-aligned report cards’? 

Today’s guest teaches us that when we overfocus on the format of an assessment (i.e. the standards), we miss out on what matters most and lose track of the goal (i.e. comprehension). Comprehension is not a single construct. 

When we think about assessment data, there are two important questions to ask: 

1. Are the data useful? 
2. How are we preparing students for assessments? Are we confusing format with goals? 

The assessment data is a pathway back to the content. In case you’re wondering, here’s where the science of reading comes into play… knowledge building is a necessary and (very) important part of assessment! 

Related Episodes

• Ep. 35: Reading Assessments NEED an Upgrade! 
• Ep. 37: Meredith Liben and Sue Pimentel on the Standards, Assessment, and Data 

Resources (bulleted list of resources mentioned in the podcast) 

• Garbage In Garbage Out 
• Beyond Multiple Choice conference agenda Jay McTighe 
• Why the Pandemic Experts Failed (The Atlantic) 
• What is the Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom (DIKW) Pyramid?  
• Researchers blast data analysis for teachers to help students (Hechinger Report) 
• Why State Reading Tests Are Poor Benchmarks of Student Success by Hugh Catts
• Educational Redlining (Reading Groups) with Sonja Santelises 
• Like most superintendents I cared a lot about test scores. Too much, it turns out. (Chalkbeat) 

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We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.

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