Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom

by Carol Ann Tomlinson, Tonya R. Moon

Carol Ann Tomlinson and Tonya R. Moon take an in-depth look at assessment and show how differentiation can improve the process in all grade levels and subject areas. After discussing differentiation in general, the authors focus on how differentiation applies to various forms of assessment—pre-assessment, formative assessment, and summative assessment—and to grading and report cards. Readers learn how differentiation can * Capture student interest and increase motivation

* Clarify teachers' understanding about what is most important to teach

* Enhance students' and teachers' belief in student learning capacity; and

* Help teachers understand their students' individual similarities and differences so they can reach more students, more effectively
Throughout, Tomlinson and Moon emphasize the importance of maintaining a consistent focus on the essential knowledge, understandings, and skills that all students must acquire, no matter what their starting point. Detailed scenarios illustrate how assessment differentiation can occur in three realms (student readiness, interest, and learning style or preference) and how it can improve assessment validity and reliability and decrease errors and teacher bias. Grounded in research and the authors' teaching experience, Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom outlines a common-sense approach that is both thoughtful and practical, and that empowers teachers and students to discover, strive for, and achieve their true potential.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, Professional Development, Textbooks, Ebooks

157 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Rachelle Puckett · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I do think there are some worthwhile ideas in this book, I wish it had more structure/organizations and visual examples of its applications. The seemingly dragged on narrative after narratives are too specific amd not generally applicable enough to consider across different disciplines at times.

[Vanesa Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

La lectura de Tomlinson se siente como entrar en un espacio donde la evaluación recupera su sentido más humano y deja de ser ese ritual rígido que tantas veces se vive con angustia. Sus ideas avanzan con una claridad serena que va desmontando la obsesión por medir para clasificar y abren un modo de pensar donde cada estudiante aparece como una historia en desarrollo, no como un dato que debe encajar en una tabla. Hay una experiencia de aula muy real detrás de cada explicación, una cercanía que vuelve cada argumento más confiable y más necesario.

A medida que desentraña lo que significa evaluar en un aula donde nadie aprende del mismo modo, surge una comprensión más profunda del propósito educativo. La evaluación diferenciada no es un truco ni una concesión. Es una forma de acompañar procesos que respiran, cambian, retroceden, se expanden. Tomlinson muestra que solo tiene sentido evaluar cuando esa información permite orientar caminos y ofrecer oportunidades reales para que cada mente encuentre su propio modo de crecer. Esa lógica transforma la práctica docente en algo más honesto y menos atado al viejo impulso de etiquetar.

El libro deja una sensación que recuerda a la calma productiva de planificar Paideia, cuando las decisiones pedagógicas se alinean con la idea de que enseñar es acompasar ritmos y no domesticar diferencias. Después de cerrar las páginas queda la impresión de que podríamos evitar mucho daño si la formación docente abrazara esta mirada desde el inicio. La educación respiraría de otra manera si todas las personas que enseñan se permitieran entender la evaluación como un acto de cuidado y no como un mecanismo de control.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Depending on where you are in your teaching career, this book could be very helpful. Having taught for 17 years now, this book was not as helpful as I had hoped, but it is well-written and has great strategies throughout.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book full of ideas for assessing students. Especially fantastic due to ideas given for projects. Well worth the price!

[Ms. Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly if you are an educator and your giving traditional tests still, please dear gus get this book.

[Sky Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was required to read this for grad school but like dadgum. If you are an educator of any kind PLEASE DEAR GUS READ THIS BOOK!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book that discusses differentiation and how it should be assessed in the classroom. The authors discuss the common myths of differentiation and grading, in particular focus on students growth learning, standards based grading, and mastery learning. I have already passed this book to another educator on my campus.

[Suzanne Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're new to differentiation, this book is an excellent choice to learn how to design a classroom that greets all learners with challenges. If you're experienced with differentiation, then you'll know that Carol Tomlinson always has great tips to offer, and this book is no exception. I found many good ideas and new insights into my own grading process. I recommend this book for educators.

[Pete Jurchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

For educators, there may be some good new stuff in here. For those of us in not-for profit businesses or religious institutions outside the field of public/private education, this book works as an invaluable primer for how best practice in assessment should function. Highly recommended for those who teach yet don't live day in and day out in the school system.

[Lu Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really challenged the way I looked at assessment in the classroom. It also had some interesting thoughts on how to make grading more effective to our teaching as well as the student's learning.

[Mills College Library]

371.394 T6593 2013

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for teachers when creating assessments . Very resourceful.

[Wendi Klaiber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did take away a few good learning points on how to improve my assessments; however, for the most part, the book was very dry. I learned the most from the chapter on pre-assessment.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for one of my classes, but I made a lot of notes while reading it and found it really interesting. This will definitely be a book I refer back to when I am actually a teacher.

[Dan Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book taught me a lot about the concept of differentiation, with which I was only vaguely familiar beforehand. It also really stretched my thinking, and broke down some old assumptions, about the nature and purpose of assessment and grading.