CREATE Conference, The College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, October 7-9, 2010

For more information, see the CREATE Conference PDF

ASSESSMENT LITERACY

Why is it Important?
Few education-related conversations take place these days that don't soon turn to the topic of testing and, more specifically, to students' test scores. Never before in our nation's history has the attention of politicians, educators, and parents been so focused on tests. And, that's why assessment literacy is something that anyone involved in education must possess.

Put simply, assessment literacy describes the basic knowledge and skills that an individual needs in order to (1) avoid misusing educational tests and (2) make accurate interpretations regarding students' test scores.

Legislators, Educators, and Parents
Together, legislators, educators, and parents are the stakeholders in the accountability process. And, yes they care about kids. But before politicians legislate higher test scores for the purposes of accountability; before educators spend valuable classroom time on test preparation, instead on instruction; before parents evaluate schools on the basis of test scores—each stakeholder group should be required to master Testing 101. Caring is good, but ignorance about assessment literacy is bad.

Our carefully developed collection of assessment-focused videotape programs can be the core of your assessment literacy curriculum. Viewers will learn just by watching. It's that easy.