Answers to Essential Questions about Standards, Assessments, Grading, and Reporting - Paperback

by Thomas R. Guskey (Author), Lee Ann Jung (Author)

The definitive guidebook to the complex terrain of 21st-century standards!

Standards, assessments, grading, and reporting provide the foundation for nearly every initiative in modern education reform. But what do these terms actually mean--and what changes in each area will bring about the improvements teachers and school leaders want to see? Here, Thomas R. Guskey and Lee Ann Jung collect the essential questions that stymie educators, and give each one a short, simple, jargon-free response.

Perfect for new teacher induction or professional learning on Common Core Standards initiatives, this book offers:

• A vocabulary and frame of reference to share with other educators
• An understanding of effective implementation in standards, assessments, grading, and reporting
• Specific ideas for purposeful action

Organized in a unique, accessible Q&A format, this easy-to-use guide gives educators the common ground they need for successful improvement efforts.

"This text is a useful tool that educators can use to build common definitions about frequently used and misunderstood educational terms within their state, district, or school. Only when educators have the same understanding of ′formative assessment′ or ′grade reporting′ can they be implemented with fidelity."
--Julie Quinn, Accountability Specialist
Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake City, UT

"Written in small sections, this book explains well how we assess, why we use different assessments, and asks guiding questions for application of assessments. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in educational assessments."
--Jeanne Collins, Superintendent
Burlington School District, VT

Author Biography

Thomas R. Guskey is Professor of Educational Psychology in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Chicago, he began his career in education as a middle school teacher, served as an administrator in Chicago Public Schools, and was the first Director of the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, a national educational research center. He is the author/editor of 18 books and over 200 articles published in prominent research journals as well as Educational Leadership, Kappan, and School Administrator. Dr. Guskey served on the Policy Research Team of the National Commission on Teaching & America′s Future, on the Task Force to develop the National Standards for Staff Development, and recently was named a Fellow in the American Educational Research Association, which also honored him in 2006 for his outstanding contribution relating research to practice. His most recent books include Developing Standards-Based Report Cards (2010), Practical Solutions for Serious Problems in Standards-Based Grading (Ed.) (2009), The Principal as Assessment Leader (Ed.) (2009), The Teacher as Assessment Leader (Ed.) (2009), and Benjamin S. Bloom: Portraits of an Educator (Ed.) (2006).

Lee Ann Jung is an associate professor of special education at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Jung is a graduate of Auburn University and has worked in the field of special education since 1994 as a teacher, administrator, consultant, and researcher. She is a national presenter on topics of family involvement, inclusion, IEP/IFSP development, and grading and reporting progress of exceptional learners. She has authored more than 30 journal articles and book chapters and has received in excess of $3 million in funding to support personnel preparation and research. She is an editorial board member for three special education journals and has served as guest editor for Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. Dr. Jung was named "Outstanding Junior Faculty Researcher" at the University of Kentucky in 2002. She serves on the governor-appointed council that advises Kentucky′s Cabinet for Health and Family Services on matters of providing special education services to young children.