Assessment Dissemination Project
- The Multicultural Diversity Assessment Disseminitation Project
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Assessment Use
Title: Allison's Dilemma
Area: Assessment
Skills demonstrated (summary from focus groups activities): Knowledge of skills to solve problems involving: test bias, the effect of language, attitudes and learning styles on assessment performance, and the use of a sole measurement to gauge student performance.
Vignette:
Please read the following scenarios and answer the questions as completely as possible. We are looking for depth in your responses so please "Show what you know."
Allison’s Dilemma
Allison took a break from looking at her grade-book and began to stare past her straight rows of desks and out the classroom window. She liked teaching at Adams Middle School, a suburban school of about 500 students. She had become known for her good teaching and had won several awards. Traditionally, Adams was a school with little ethnic diversity. However, that had rapidly changed over the past few years. Allison’s class has become very diverse. She broke her gaze from the window and looked down at her grade-book. "Good teaching should be reflected by a good grade by each student’s name" she thought. But, she couldn’t ignore the figures on the page. Some students were having trouble.
Allison considered an end-of-unit test as the best indicator of a student’s performance. After all, her unit tests were very similar to the tests the district had to administer each year and they matched the way she taught. Despite her good teaching, Allison had to admit something was missing. For example, several students seem to do well on class assignments involving groups, but would score at the bottom of the class on the unit tests...and "test day" did not make her popular. Some of her students would let out an "Aww" when a test day was announced. A few students, especially Allejandro, whose English is limited and is in an ESL program, always seemed a little nervous about taking tests. With the next unit about to start, Allison wanted to re-think her teaching and assessment strategies. She felt compelled to make sure ALL of her students were learning.
- List all of the assessment issues and/or problems you think may exist in this classroom.
- Suggest ways to address the issues/problems identified above. Describe specifically what you would do.
Back to Performance Assessments
Please feel free to email Dr. Anthony Ambrosio, if you have any concern about the grant. Thank you.
Original website designed by Marcos A. Prono and Sarah J. Stump revised by John W. Parton.
Last revision: Oct. 2006