In the post-COVID-19 pandemic educational environment, assessment provides a way to gain critical insight into students’ thinking and learning, and areas in which they need support to progress toward learning goals. Student success requires thoughtful assessment design and implementation, but building a strong assessment culture in your school is often overlooked but equally important.
ISTE is collaborating with the National Center for Improvement in Educational Assessment (NCIEA) to explore the characteristics of a healthy assessment culture. The first step is to consider the concept of school culture and how it supports the related concept of assessment culture.
The importance of school culture
School culture is the set of implicit assumptions, beliefs and expectations that drive activities and behavior within the school. This includes implicit rules for decision-making and the types of achievements that are valued and celebrated. Research shows that school reforms often fail when they conflict with or ignore existing school culture.
Likewise, assessment culture is shaped by the fundamental beliefs and expectations students, educators, and leaders have about assessment practices. Just as school culture can support or hinder efforts to implement new ideas, a school's assessment culture can influence whether assessment practices directly or indirectly have a positive impact on teaching and learning.
Contrasting perspectives on assessment cultures.
We can see the different components of assessment culture on a continuum from less supportive to more supportive of teaching and learning. Imagine a school that talks about assessment as a way to determine whether students are smart or not. Compare to other schools where students view assessment as a process such as: Identify strengths and weaknesses that inform what to do next.. We know that students who adopt a growth mindset are better able to cope with challenging tasks, deal with learning obstacles, and take ownership of their learning. In other words, using formative assessments as a learning tool fosters a growth mindset in students.
Now consider contrasting teacher experiences. At one school, limited assessment-related professional learning opportunities focused solely on the management of purchased products. Other schools prioritize formative assessment practices embedded in student learning experiences through ongoing assessment-related professional learning opportunities.
The research results are clear. Formative assessment has beneficial consequences for student learning. Teachers often receive summative or test preparation training, but they do not receive enough professional development to implement effective formative assessments. When a school's assessment culture focuses on test preparation rather than classroom assessment best practices, teachers and students miss out on opportunities.
School and district leaders influence the assessment culture throughout the school system. When a school or district's goals prioritize test performance over comprehensively demonstrating student understanding, this often leads to a narrowing of the curriculum. The focus on “teaching to the test” limits students’ access to rich educational experiences.
The first step in changing the evaluation culture
The potential impact of assessment culture on practice requires educators and leaders to identify cultural aspects in the workplace within their school or district. Understanding and changing a school's assessment culture takes time because it is built over time and is often based on assumptions about assessment that are not explicitly stated or shared by everyone in the school.
One way to begin examining assessment culture is to ask people what they think about the different types of assessment used in schools. Talk to and gather input from a variety of people in your school community, including students, families, classroom teachers, support staff, and school leaders. We provide a variety of ways for stakeholders to share their thoughts and opinions, including anonymous surveys, structured focus groups, and open discussions.
The process of examining assessment culture through dialogue helps schools and districts identify factors that support or potentially limit the effective use of assessment evidence. By understanding assessment culture, we can develop strategies to change assessment-related practices (e.g. assessment selection/development, use of evidence, professional learning, etc.) to better support student learning.
With funding from the Walton Family Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, ISTE is collaborating with assessment experts at the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment to explore the concept of assessment culture and continuously improve the set of assessment cultures. The ultimate goal is to help districts identify (i.e., make visible) key aspects of their assessment culture and promote change in school-based assessment practices to have a more positive impact on student learning.