Author: By James McBride

Assessment is a valuable complement to instruction. It tells us who has learned and who hasn’t so educators can determine what’s most likely to help a student grow and succeed in the future. With nearly half a century invested in psychometric research—the study of educational and psychological measurement—I think it’s … Read More

In normal times, a discussion about the future of assessment might look five years ahead to talk about the prospects of more authentic computer-aided assessments or potential developments in continuous assessment. However, in 2020, we have more immediate needs right in front us, and the assessment tools we may have … Read More

As schools rushed to move face-to-face classes online, the unique challenges faced by students attempting to learn remotely came to the surface. The enormous loss of instructional time caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to widen performance gaps in public education. The early warning indicators that districts typically … Read More

Educators can make their instruction more effective and provide practice linked directly to progress monitoring and formative assessment results using a number of free digital tools. Teachers can also take advantage of time-saving features such as automatic grading and the computerized compilation of points awarded for correct answers so that … Read More

The Algoma District School Board (ADSB), located in Ontario, Canada, serves a diverse group of 9,400 students across 39 elementary and 10 secondary schools. Through our strategic priorities of achievement, well-being and engagement, we seek to graduate confident learners, caring citizens. For the past number of years, our district has … Read More

We were all immersed in the moment, navigating our way through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Now we must turn our attention to how we return children to school and how we focus on students’ learning. Here’s how: 1. Start with fun: Build relationships early and often. Remember how important icebreakers are? … Read More

As America’s schools reopen this fall, most are returning at least partially–if not fully–virtual. While policymakers, health experts, parents, and educators continue to debate the right course of action, one thing is for certain: back-to-school is here. As students log into their classrooms, another question arises – what has been … Read More

The spread of the coronavirus transformed our education system overnight. With school districts completely caught off-guard by the speed and severity of the outbreak, the U.S. Department of Education announced flexibility for states to cancel their annual summative assessments and accountability ratings for the 2019-2020 school year. As the start … Read More