George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

Assessment

Look beyond high-stakes testing to learn about different ways of assessing the full range of student ability -- social, emotional, and academic achievement.

  • The Case for Not Allowing Test Retakes

    As more educators drop penalties for late work and allow students to redo tests, a high school teacher says that traditional policies are better for the majority of students.
    Anthony Palma

  • 6 Tips for Managing the Feedback Workload

    Providing feedback is proven to increase student learning, and there are ways to make the work involved more manageable.
    Andrew Miller

  • A Strategy for Reducing Math Test Anxiety

    Letting students discuss a test with peers before they take it can reduce anxiety—and it creates an opportunity to ask deeper questions.
    Howie Hua

  • 7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment

    Within these methods you’ll find close to 40 tools and tricks for finding out what your students know while they’re still learning.
    Laura Thomas

  • Allowing Test Retakes—Without Getting Gamed

    Hundreds of teachers discussed the best ways to guide students toward mastery—without being taken advantage of.
    Stephen Merrill

  • Tips for Allowing Test Retakes

    Allowing students a chance to redo tests and assignments can help them keep striving for mastery, if the process is well managed.
    David Cutler

  • 60-Second Strategy: Interview Assessments

    A face-to-face chat provides an alternative for students who struggle to show what they know on tests.

  • Developing Confidence Through Delayed Grading

    Giving students time to explore ideas with no immediate grade pressure helps motivate them to be creative and take intellectual risks.

  • Do No-Zero Policies Help or Hurt Students?

    No-zero policies spur serious—and productive—debate among teachers. We look at the big insights on both sides of the argument. 
    Emelina Minero

  • 60-Second Strategy: TAG Feedback

    This quick exercise scaffolds peer critique for elementary students.

  • Will Letter Grades Survive?

    A century-old pillar of the school system is under fire as schools look to modernize student assessment.
    Laura McKenna

  • 3 Ways Student Data Can Inform Your Teaching

    Gather and use valuable student data to inform your classroom practice.
    Rebecca Alber

  • Making Failure Harder Work Than Passing

    A rigorous intervention pushes students who might be satisfied with a D to aim higher.
    Angela Campbell

  • 7 Strategies to Make Grading Easier

    Grading is time-consuming but necessary, so we have some techniques for making it more effective and efficient.
    Susan Barber, Adrian Nester

  • Demonstrations of Learning

    Competency-based education personalizes how students show mastery by giving them choice in how they’re assessed.