Taking Stock of Here and Now

Abstract

This chapter outlines the purpose of this book, which is to provide practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and university teacher preparation faculty with a comprehensive, current overview of the state and art of student assessment. Chapter summaries are provided along with a description of four themes that permeate the book: leadership, fairness and equity, factors influencing student achievement, and assessment in the classroom. Key questions about assessment are posed in relation to the role of school leaders, policy implications, diversity, and student voice. Several critical challenges are presented, including (1) the need for greater coherence in the direct and indirect approaches to school improvement and student assessment, (2) the need to ensure that there is sufficient knowledge and skills necessary for optimal student assessment on the part of classroom teachers and educational leaders, (3) the importance of understanding mistakes in student assessment, such as dismissing large-scale assessment information, (4) the necessity for students to be aware of their learning goals and expectations for assessment, and (5) the requirement for educators to address the wide array of student learning characteristics and needs. This chapter also highlights assessment practices and understandings that have been successful. The chapter closes with a call for boundary-breaking assessment that reflects clear understandings of the purposes of assessment, a balance of assessment creativity and realism, the ability to detect solutions for assessment challenges, and the capacity to question and imagine assessment alternatives.