Revolutionize Assessment: Empower Students, Inspire Learning

Confront the emerging assessment crisis in American education Rick Stiggins details profound changes in the mission of our schools that requires a bold new vision of excellence in assessment in those schools. He combines decades of experience with international research to define a vision that uses assessment to supercharge student learning, not merely measure it—to support student growth, not merely hold schools accountable for it.Revolutionize Assessment:  Begins with a unique analysis from the student’s point of view of the motivational psychology of being evaluated in the classroom Offers strategies for engaging students in self-assessment in ways that maximize their engagement and confidences as they learn Details the long-missing conditions of classroom assessment literacy that must be in place in local schools for Rick’s vision to become reality Reveals how gains in student achievement can narrow achievement gaps when teachers are given the tools needed to use “assessment for learning”   "Noted authority Rick Stiggins offers an important 'wake up call' as he documents how our nation has lost its way on the assessment road, and offers a hopeful prescription for how we can reclaim the promise of assessments that truly support meaningful learning." —Jay McTighe, Co-author of the Understanding by Design® series “I want this book in the hands of every teacher and school leader in American Schools.” —Sharon Robinson, Executive Director of the Association of American Colleges of Teacher Education and of the Learning First Alliance  

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Michael Fullan Acknowledgments About the Author 1. A Hidden Crisis in American Education 2. To Begin With, We Must Understand This Realm of Educational Assessment 3. Understanding Our Assessment Trap 4. These Are Troubled Times in the Realm of Educational Assessment 5. A New School Mission Demands a New Assessment Vision 6. Assessment for Truly Effective Schools Requires Local School District Leadership 7. A Concluding Message to the Measurement Community References Index

About the Author :
Rick Stiggins has devoted his professional life to understanding keys to student academic success in the classroom. His mission has been to help teachers, school leaders, policy makers, and school communities apply research-based policies and classroom practices that help all students experience the highest-possible levels of learning success. His preparation to fulfill this mission began as a psychology major at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, followed by doctoral studies in educational psychology at Michigan State University. Rick’s focus on keys to student success was sharpened with early career experiences at the University of Minnesota, on the research staff of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) in Portland, Oregon, and as a visiting scholar at Stanford University. During this phase of his own development, Rick spent over a decade in classrooms with students and teachers researching and striving to understand (1) the task demands teachers face in managing the day-to-day classroom assessment process, and (2) how that process can positively impact students’ motivation, actions, and achievement, as well as their sense of themselves as learners. With this foundation of understanding in hand, Rick founded the Assessment Training Institute (ATI) in 1992 in Portland, a professional development company whose mission was to promote the “assessment literacy.” He and his team developed and disseminated print, video, and online offerings that help educators, parents, and school communities in general learn to gather dependable evidence of student achievement and use that evidence effectively to develop truly effective instructional practices. Rick and the ATI team turned the spotlight onto the breakthrough practice of using “assessment for learning” or of engaging students in ongoing self-monitoring and management of their own growth while it is happening. Primary among the materials Rick and his team created has been an award-winning professional text for teachers titled An Introduction to Student-Involved Assessment for Learning, now available in its seventh edition (Chappuis & Stiggins, 2017). In addition, he has authored numerous books, articles, and other writings on sound practice for pre- and in-service training, community outreach, and educational leadership that have helped literally hundreds of thousands of teachers, school leaders, and community leaders around the world improve their classroom practice, educational leadership capabilities, and professional confidence. Through these channels, it is safe to assume that Rick’s work has impacted the learning and self-confidence of millions of students over the past forty years.

Review :
"In this concise, compelling, and readable book, Rick Stiggins explains clearly the extraordinary damage that has been done to America's youth by the belief that standardized testing is the only, or even the best, way to find out what students have learned. He also shows how more appropriate assessment, in which learners play a leading role, has the power to transform American education. Anyone interested in what is wrong with education in America today—and what we can do about it—should read this book." "Every once and awhile a book appears that is so honest, so sensible, and so impassioned that it must not be ignored.  This is such a book, and it will make many education policy makers and assessment experts wince.  Stiggins decries the damage done by poorly designed tests and thoughtless assessment practice.  Thankfully, he doesn't stop with an indictment.  Drawing on a half century of experience, Stiggins offers practical advice on how sound assessment practice can benefit all students." "In this powerful book Rick Stiggins – through story, research, and practical ideas – clearly offers ways to transform what seem to be overwhelming roadblocks to learning by involving students and using high quality classroom assessment.  This book is an important tool for all leaders as they pursue success for all learners." "Noted authority Rick Stiggins offers an important 'wake up call' as he documents how our nation has lost its way on the assessment road, and offers a hopeful prescription for how we can reclaim the promise of assessments that truly support meaningful learning." "This book is a plea from the heart, from 50+ years of experience, from someone who has immersed himself in the research, the classroom, the professional learning communities and the publication business -  and Stiggins sees it all too clearly.  It is time to fix the assessment problem. There is more packed into this little treatise than in encyclopedias on this topic.  There is passion, wisdom, and a critical message – it is not too late but move soon.  A clear blueprint is outlined as to the path to follow." "I want to put this book and these ideas in the hands of every teacher and school leader in America.  We need to support learning, not merely measure it."