ASSESSMENT IN MATH AND SCIENCE: WHAT'S THE POINT?

Subject: Professional Development/Mathematics/Science
Grades: Adult
Length: 8 episodes @ 90 minutes
Distributors: CPB/Annenberg
Record Rights: 1 year
Web Site: http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/assessment/

Join K-12 teachers from across the country in this eight-part series of interactive workshops on math and science assessment. Using Annenberg/CPB video clips, participants examine current assessment issues and explore strategies for assessment reform in their classrooms. Teachers can hear the comments of peers in telephone call-in segments, and contribute their own questions and experiences via the Internet. Graduate credit available.

Workshop 2. What'd I Get?: Scoring Tools
Well-designed performance tasks give teachers the information necessary to evaluate the depth of students' understanding — but how can teachers determine quality work? This workshop demonstrates how teachers can construct assessment tools for benchmarks of student understanding. The role of students in the construction of scoring tools and the process of assessment will be a primary focus. Content Guide: K. Michael Hibbard.

Workshop 3. Is This Going To Count?: Embedded Assessment
Assessment does not compete for valuable teaching time; it is teaching time. This workshop shows how embedding assessment into everyday curriculum turns performance tasks into learning activities. Well-designed assessment allows teachers to shape subsequent instruction according to what their students have and have not understood. Content Guide: Monica Neagoy.

Workshop 4. I Didn't Know This Was an English Class!: Connections Across the Disciplines
One measure of students' depth of understanding is the connections they can make across disciplines. This workshop explores how teachers can encourage these connections by designing performance tasks that build on other disciplines. Content Guide: Monica Neagoy.

Workshop 5. You WILL Be Tested on This!: Standardized Testing
Teachers are under pressure to get their students to perform well on state and national tests. Sometimes, however, it seems that too much attention is paid to these tests. This workshop considers how teachers can use standardized tests to focus their teaching on improved student performance in the classroom as well as on these external measures of success. Content Guide: K. Michael Hibbard.

Workshop 6. That Would Never Work Here!: Seeing Assessment Reform in Action, Part I
What does assessment reform actually look like? This workshop follows the stories of Barbara, a math teacher in Whittier, California, and Scott, a science teacher in Louisville, Kentucky, as they share how they are incorporating assessment into their teaching. Emphasis will be placed on the colleague support structure — teachers sharing ideas with and getting help from other teachers. Content Guides: Mary Hibert Neuman and Jude Pelchat.

Workshop 7. That Would Never Work Here, Either!: Seeing Assessment Reform in Action, Part II
Involving students in assessment is often the key to engaging them in learning. This workshop will continue to follow Barbara and Scott as they use assessment to encourage their students to improve their performance. Providing opportunities for students to assess their own work and that of their peers will be the focus of this workshop. Content Guides: Mary Hibert Neuman and Jude Pelchat.

Workshop 8. When I Was in School...: Implementing Assessment Reform
Changing old ways is not easy. Communication is the first step toward encouraging support for new assessment strategies. This workshop will focus on the importance of collaboration among teachers, administrators, and especially parents, when implementing assessment reform in a school or district. Content Guide: K. Michael Hibbard.