Stakeholder Perceptions of Local and State Assessments
Abstract/Description
Many states are currently attempting to reduce the amount of time students spend taking assessments. In addition to classroom tests, students take standardized assessments administered at a district- and state-wide level. After the most recent reauthorization of ESEA, the U.S. Department of Education released a Testing Action Plan that called for states to reduce the amount of testing taking place. A key component to making some of these policy decisions is the input of stakeholders. This research attempts to better understand the perspectives of teachers and administrators within a western U.S. state. A series of focus groups were conducted with teachers and principals across the state in order to collect information on their experiences administering assessments, the types of assessments and assessment practices they value, they types of assessment data they find useful, how they utilize assessment data in their instruction, and what professional supports they perceive as most beneficial. The findings from this research will be presented to state administrators who will use the information to help inform policy recommendations, to provide beneficial statewide resources to teachers, schools, and districts, and to ultimately make improvements to their state assessment system. This presentation will discuss the preliminary findings from these focus groups.
Stakeholder Perceptions of Local and State Assessments
Guzman 111, Dominican University of California
Many states are currently attempting to reduce the amount of time students spend taking assessments. In addition to classroom tests, students take standardized assessments administered at a district- and state-wide level. After the most recent reauthorization of ESEA, the U.S. Department of Education released a Testing Action Plan that called for states to reduce the amount of testing taking place. A key component to making some of these policy decisions is the input of stakeholders. This research attempts to better understand the perspectives of teachers and administrators within a western U.S. state. A series of focus groups were conducted with teachers and principals across the state in order to collect information on their experiences administering assessments, the types of assessments and assessment practices they value, they types of assessment data they find useful, how they utilize assessment data in their instruction, and what professional supports they perceive as most beneficial. The findings from this research will be presented to state administrators who will use the information to help inform policy recommendations, to provide beneficial statewide resources to teachers, schools, and districts, and to ultimately make improvements to their state assessment system. This presentation will discuss the preliminary findings from these focus groups.