Students will:
1. Develop a strong understanding of the basic tenets of educational assessment including basic properties of assessment;
2. Define and distinguish the purpose of various types of assessments;
3. Critique the value and impact of different types of assessments; 
4. Operationalize the significance and influence of formative assessment and performance-based assessments; 
5. Compare and contrast locally-designed assessments with formative and performance-based assessments;
6. Describe the strengths and challenges of graded student work and its use in instructional planning and communication for various stakeholders;
7. Critique the use of methods designed to evaluate teachers and academic programs and their consequences;
8. Explore the history of test-based accountability;
9. Explore state and federal assessment policies;
10. Explore the concerns of stakeholders (teachers, parents, community members, etc.) regarding practices in educational
assessment;
11. Articulate positive and negative consequences from various innovations in assessment and teacher evaluation
(e.g., "pay for performance"); and
12. Compare and contrast the complex interactions between and among the socio-political context, assessment policy, and the daily experiences of students and teachers.

1. Review of foundational concepts and basic types of assessment, including:
a. Reliability and validity
b. Traditional forms of classroom assessment (selected response tests)
c. Characteristics of standardized summative assessments
2. Rationale and strategies for the development of classroom-based assessment, with a special focus on formative and
performance assessment
a. The purpose and power of formative assessments
b. The role of targets (standards) in developing assessments
c. Types of methods of assessment
d. Specifics on creating and using performance assessments
e. The importance of using appropriate language for students
f. Student involvement in assessment
g. Grading and reporting
3. Examination of the socio-political context of educational assessment
a. Historical perspective on the goals of education and what should be assessed
b. The history of test-based accountability from 1983 (A Nation at Risk) to the present
c. The impact of test-based accountability
i. Classroom practices
ii. Test preparation
iii. Political discourse
d. Current trends in assessment (e.g., computer adaptive testing, and many colleges no longer requiring the SAT)
e. Current trends in the public’s response to assessment (e.g., the "opt-out" movement)
f. The connection between the evaluation of teachers and test-based accountability