School leaders gain a clear vision of what excellence in assessment looks like and what it takes to achieve it. This book also identifies specific competencies leaders need to support assessment for learning and provides activities and resources to help learn and apply these skills. Rick Stigginsrs" DVD presentation Developing Balanced Assessment Systems and a CD-ROM with more than 30 individual and group activities, teaching resources and planning tools are included. Written for use in individual or group study. Also included in theTotal Professional Development Package - ISBN 9780132548922 Professional Papers and Recent Staff Articles Stiggins, Richard J. (09/01/2005). Assessmentforlearning defined Stiggins, Richard J. & Popham, W. James (08/01/2008). Assessing studentsrs" affect related to assessment FOR learning . Stiggins, Richard J. (11/01/2006). Assessment for learning: A key to motivation and achivement . Stiggins, Richard J. (12/01/2005). From Formative assessment to assessmentforlearning: A path to success in standards-based schools . Additional Resources Visit http://www.assessmentinst.com/resources/ati-resources/ to read more articles on assessment, download study guides, and more! To check out ATI events and trainings in you area, visit http://www.assessmentinst.com/category/events/

Rick Stiggins founded the Assessment Training Institute (ATI) in 1992 to provide much-needed professional development in assessment for teachers and school leaders. ATI can help assessment users at all levels learn how to (a) create high-quality assessments, and (b) use them in the service of student success. The most unique feature of the ATI philosophy remains our advocacy of and professional development in "assessment for learning"; that is, the use of student-involved classroom assessment, record keeping and communication to promote success for all students. The ATI programs, materials and services in classroom assessment for student learning are specifically designed to draw teachers and administrators into local learning teams to master principles of balanced assessment and assessment for learning. Rick is the author of numerous books, articles and papers on assessment practices in the classroom and its impact on students and student success.

A nationally recognized expert in performance assessment, Judy Arter's background includes statewide writing assessments, development of large-scale and classroom-based assessments for competency assessment and development of district performance assessments. Prior to joining ETS, Judy directed Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's (NWREL) assessment unit. She has written extensively on performance assessment and rubrics, and is the co-author of Creating & Recognizing Quality Rubrics.

Prior to joining ATI, Jan Chappuis was a curriculum and assessment specialist responsible for professional development and school improvement. Her background as an elementary and secondary teacher, combined with her assessment expertise and professional development experience, enables Jan to provide teachers and school leaders with practical solutions for motivating students and involving them in their own academic success. Her most recent publication, Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning, helps teachers adopt formative assessment practices shown to improve learning.

Steve Chappuis brings a strong background in educational administration to ATI. His leadership experiences include serving as a junior high principal, a senior high principal and executive director responsible for supervision of schools and principals. As an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, he implemented a standards-based instructional program that included comprehensive assessment plans with policies and professional development in classroom assessment. At ATI, Steve works with educators to help establish balanced and effective local assessment systems. He is also responsible for our leadership for excellence in assessment program - professional development for school leaders and policy makers, and is the co-author of Assessment Balance and Quality: An Action Guide for School Leaders 3rd. Ed.

Contents
Part One Building the Foundation ....................................................................1
Contents of This Guide ................................................................................................5
Getting Ready ................................................................................................................7
Activity 1: Building the Foundation for Understanding Quality Assessment..............8
“Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment” ..10

Part Two A Vision of the Perfect Assessment System ................................25
The Perfect Assessment System ..................................................................................27
Fundamental Beliefs and Values ....................................................................28
What is “Assessment for Learning”? ..........................................................................33
The Active Ingredients ....................................................................................35
Carefully Defined Achievement Expectations ........................................35
Honoring All Users and Uses....................................................................36
Dependable Evidence of Learning............................................................37
Effective Management and Communication of Results ..........................38
The Promise of Balanced Assessment Systems............................................................39
Research Results ..............................................................................................39
Summary: Balance Is Essential ....................................................................................40
Activity 2: “Emily’s Story” ..........................................................................................42
“Emily’s Story: A Story of Classroom Success” ..............................................43

Part Three The Path: Five Doors to Excellence in Assessment ................49
Overview of the Path to the Perfect Assessment System ............................................51
Door 1: Focusing on Achievement Expectations........................................................53
Agreeing on Achievement Expectations ........................................................53
Creating an Effective Curriculum ..................................................................54
Teacher Mastery of Student Standards............................................................56
Summary ........................................................................................................57
Door 2: Serving ALL Assessment Users ......................................................................58
Understanding Who the Users Are ................................................................58
Planning for Classroom Assessment ..............................................................61
Planning for Standardized Testing..................................................................61
Summary ........................................................................................................63
Door 3: Developing Assessment Literacy ....................................................................64
Keys to Quality Classroom Assessment ..........................................................64
Why Assess? To Serve the User’s Information Needs ..............................66
Assess What? Clear Targets ......................................................................67
Assess How? Assessment Design to Promote Accuracy............................67
Communicate Results How? In a Timely and Understandable
Manner................................................................................................68
Involve Students–Make Assessment Instruction ....................................70
Barriers to Accurate Assessment......................................................................72
A Lack of Time to Assess Well ..................................................................72
An Institutional Barrier to Quality ..........................................................74
A Community Barrier to Quality..............................................................74
The Ultimate Barrier to Quality................................................................75
Removing the Barriers ....................................................................................75
The Nine Principles of Assessment for Learning............................................75
Organizing Learning Teams for Professional Development in
Assessment for Learning ..........................................................................76
Summary ........................................................................................................77
Door 4: Communicating Effectively About Student Achievement ............................78
Door 5: Creating a Supportive Policy Environment ..................................................80
A Sample District Assessment Policy ..............................................................80
Personnel Policy and Excellence in Assessment ............................................81
Rethinking Other Relevant Policies ................................................................82
Summary ........................................................................................................83
Summarizing the Path to Excellence in Assessment ..................................................83
Activity 3: Creating an Assessment Profile for Your School/District..........................85

Part Four The Required Skills for Assessment Balance and Quality:
Ten Competencies for Educational Leaders ......................................95
Leading Assessment for Learning................................................................................98
Competency 1 ..........................................................................................................101
Activity 4: ATI Interactive Video: Evaluating Assessment Quality:
Hands-on Practice ..........................................................................................104
Activity 5: Analyze Assessments for Clear Targets ....................................................105
Activity 6: Developmental Continua for Teachers ..................................................109
Competency 2 ..........................................................................................................124
Activity 7: Classroom Assessment for Learning........................................................127
“Classroom Assessment for Learning”..........................................................128
Activity 8: Principles of Assessment for Learning: A Self-Analysis ..........................133
Activity 9: Converting Learning Targets to Student-Friendly Language ..................136
Activity 10: Ways That Teachers and Students Use Formative Assessment ............138
Activity 11: Using Feedback to Set Goals..................................................................143
Resource 1: Using Test Results to Self-Assess and Set Goals ....................................148
Resource 2: Student Self-Assessment and Goal-Setting Activities ............................152
Competency 3 ..........................................................................................................155
Resource 3: Implementing the Written Curriculum ................................................157
Activity 12: Deconstructing Standards into Classroom-Level Achievement
Targets: Practice for School Leaders ..............................................................161
Activity 13: Using Interviews to Hire Teachers with Content Knowledge and
Assessment Competence ..............................................................................170
Activity 14: Auditing Your Classroom Curriculum ..................................................172
Competency 4 ..........................................................................................................175
Activity 15: Should Teachers Be Held Accountable for Assessment Competence
Through Evaluation? ....................................................................................176
Competency 5 ..........................................................................................................178
Activity 16: Analyzing Your Professional Development Program ............................180
Activity 17: Learning Teams for Assessment Literacy ..............................................184
Resource 4: How Principals Can Support Learning Teams ......................................187
Competency 6 ..........................................................................................................194
Resource 5: Conducting an Assessment Audit ..........................................................198
Competency 7 ..........................................................................................................202
Activity 18: Using School/District Policies to Support Quality Assessment ............204
Competency 8 ..........................................................................................................210
Activity 19: Grading Scenarios ..................................................................................213
Activity 20: ATI Interactive Video: Grading & Reporting in Standards-Based Schools......218
Activity 21: When Grades Don’t Match the State Assessment Results ....................219
Resource 6: Rubric for Grading..................................................................................221
Resource 7: A Standard Cover Letter to Parents........................................................225
Competency 9 ..........................................................................................................227
Activity 22: Merging Local and State Assessment Systems ......................................228
Competency 10 ........................................................................................................230
Activity 23: “Is This Responsible?”............................................................................233
Resource 8: Guidelines for Test Preparation and Administration ............................237
Activity 24: A Self-Analysis for School Leaders ........................................................242

Part Five Planning for Action ..........................................................................247
Activity 25: Connecting Assessment for Learning to Other School Improvement
Initiatives ......................................................................................................250
Action Planning for Assessment Balance and Quality..............................................254
Closing the Gap ............................................................................................255
Action Planning Templates ..........................................................................257
Additional Planning Considerations ............................................................264
The Comprehensive Assessment Plan ....................................................264
Helping Policy Makers Understand Balance and Quality......................264
Communicating and Monitoring the Plan ............................................265
Reconciling Current and Future Systems ..............................................265
Evaluating the Action Plan........................................................................................266
Case Study of an Individual Teacher or a Few Teachers ..............................266
The Study of a Learning Team................................................................267
The Study of a School District ................................................................267
Classroom Action Research–The Study of Impacts on Students ................267
Two Evaluation Focal Points ........................................................................268
Process Evaluation ..................................................................................268
Evaluation of Impact ..............................................................................269

In Closing ..................................................................................................................270
References ..............................................................................................................271
About the Authors ..............................................................................................275
CD-ROM/DVD Contents ......................................................................................277