MI Chapter 10

I really liked everything the chapter had to say about measuring students’ process against their own achievement, as opposed to measuring them only against each other or against a standard that someone else has set for them. Improvement and progress are definitely very important in the classroom, but if a student is improving compared to their own performance, isn’t that all that matters? Understandably, there is a level of proficiency that we want all students to reach, and it’s not to say that we shouldn’t still be aiming high for our students. However, I think it is reasonable that if a student continues to progress further and further based on their own achievement, we can assume that the curriculum and instruction has been a success and, barring a change in significant factors, the student will continue to improve. I think a major idea that both this book and Fair Isn’t Always Equal are trying to emphasize is that assessment should have a positive foundation. It should encourage progress and personal accomplishment instead of just numbers and scores. The chapter is right that we can’t differentiate instruction but not assessment; the personalized learning approach has to be carried through in all levels of learning. What I learned from this chapter is that assessment can be adapted to suit all levels of learning and forms of intelligence, and as teachers it is our duty to find ways to design tests and projects around the needs of our students so that we can get an accurate picture of their success in school.