As educators and lawmakers spar on the subject of how to best evaluate student performance, the NCTE English Assessment Story Project is exclusively asking teachers to share their thoughts on what works and what does not.

"If we want sage advice on how to improve teaching and learning — which requires strong curriculum, well-prepared teachers, and adequate resources to support learning — then we would be wise to turn to our nation’s teachers for suggestions," said veteran educator Kathryn Mitchell Pierce to The Washington Post.

As a result, the NCTE English Assessment Story Project seeks to do exactly that- turn to the nation's teachers for insight on how they manage evaluating the "complex, multi-faceted processes" of literacy and learning. So far, the project has over 350 teacher responses.

Not surprisingly, no teacher said that in order "to carry out this crucial role" of evaluating and guiding student achievement, they need more tests.

Instead, what they need is more "time to work collaboratively with assessment data and professional development to help them understand how to make sense of the various data sources already available," Pierce said, according to the article.

"We want to address the whole student, not just their test performance. Our district meets with administrators and teacher leaders, to discuss data, and collaborate on implementation of alternative assessments, [we] invite all to provide input and contributions to the assessment process," Juliette, a high school teacher, said to Pierce.

Read the full article here an comment below.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor